10 Avengers: Doomsday Fan Theories, Ranked by Likeliness

This movie could become one of the greatest superhero films ever made. It’s scheduled for release in theaters on December 18, 2026, and is a sequel to Avengers. Interestingly, Robert Downey Jr. will return, but this time as the villain, Doctor Doom. With the Russo Brothers directing this film and its continuation, Avengers: Secret Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be heading in the right direction, promising an amazing conclusion to the somewhat uneven Multiverse Saga.

It’s not surprising that fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have plenty of ideas about what will happen in Avengers: Doomsday. Everything from Doctor Doom’s possible plans for the multiverse to whispers of unexpected guest appearances is being discussed. Some of the Doomsday rumors seem believable enough to take seriously.

Doomsday Will Feature a “House of M” Parallel Reality

, twenty-six years after the team first appeared in live-action in the initial movie of Fox’s superhero series. It’s currently unknown what part the X-Men will play in the battle against Doom, but some fans are curious if this team will be the primary Earth-10005 version shown in the Fox films, or a new, never-before-seen alternate reality team. There’s speculation that these X-Men come from a “House of M” reality, where mutants are in charge of Earth, with Magneto, Scarlet Witch, and their family leading the world’s government.

There’s some truth to this idea, as Ian McKellen has been confirmed to return as Magneto in Doomsday. However, the Avengers movie might already have too much happening to properly delve into a “House of M” storyline. Adapting the famous 2005 comic event wouldn’t get the attention it deserves if squeezed into Doomsday. It’s more probable that the X-Men featured in Doomsday will be the same team we last saw in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Doctor Doom Will Be Revealed as a Tony Stark Variant

In 2024, Marvel Studios surprised everyone by announcing that Robert Downey Jr., the actor famous for playing Iron Man, would be coming back to the MCU-but this time as Doctor Doom. This news immediately sparked questions about how Tony Stark and Doctor Doom could be linked. In the comic books, Doctor Victor von Doom is the ruthless ruler of Latveria, a powerful sorcerer, and a long-standing enemy of Mister Fantastic. Some fans believe that the villain in Avengers: Doomsday won’t actually be Victor von Doom, but instead a dangerous, evil version of Tony Stark himself.

Although this idea seems logical, it wouldn’t give fans what they want after waiting almost twenty years to see Doctor Doom join the MCU. When he finally appears, he shouldn’t be presented as a shadowy version of a hero we already know. Instead, he should be the powerful villain that comic book readers adore. There could be connections between Doctor Doom and Tony Stark within the expansive multiverse, but both characters deserve to stand on their own as distinct individuals.

Someone Else Is Arriving in the Fantastic Four’s Ship

The scene after the credits of Thunderbolts* gave viewers their initial clear glimpse of Avengers: Doomsday. The scene shows the New Avengers at the Watchtower, talking about a “huge problem in space,” when they receive an alert about an unknown object entering Earth’s atmosphere. They observe video of a spaceship approaching Earth, and it has the Fantastic Four’s symbol on it. Since Thunderbolts* was released, though, many fans have wondered if this ship truly contains the Fantastic Four, or if a different group might be on board.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps didn’t give any clues about who was on the ship in Thunderbolts. Many viewers expected the movie to show the Fantastic Four traveling to Earth-616, but that didn’t happen. This has sparked speculation: could it be Doctor Doom who arrived, having taken the Fantastic Four’s spaceship? Another idea is that Franklin Richards might be on board, sent to safety by his parents after a dangerous run-in with Doom. Although these ideas make sense, we won’t know for sure until we see more of Doomsday.

More Evil Avengers Variants Will Appear in Avengers: Doomsday

Now that Robert Downey Jr. is confirmed to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, fans are speculating if other original Avengers actors might return to play villainous versions of their characters. There have been rumors for a while that Chris Evans could appear in the next Avengers movie, and some believe he might be portraying a sinister take on Captain America – possibly even Captain Hydra. Other Avengers who could have evil counterparts in Doomsday include the Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor.

Early signs suggest that Avengers: Doomsday might introduce corrupted versions of well-known heroes. Besides Robert Downey Jr. potentially playing the villain Doctor Doom, several sources say he’ll be leading a group of antagonists against the Avengers, and this team may include characters we recognize. Furthermore, with Doomsday bringing back both Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, it would be simple to include evil counterparts of their characters and keep it a secret until the movie comes out.

Marvel Is Keeping a Second Round of Doomsday Actors a Secret

Back in March, Marvel Studios revealed a large cast list for Avengers: Doomsday. The announcement included twenty-six actors who will appear alongside Robert Downey Jr. in the new movie. This list featured all the members of the New Avengers team, several important Avengers, the Fantastic Four, a number of X-Men, and some other significant characters from recent Marvel Cinematic Universe films. However, some other well-known actors weren’t mentioned in the announcement, which has led fans to believe that Marvel is intentionally keeping certain characters a surprise for the upcoming film.

Okay, so I’m pretty sure this theory is spot on. Marvel always hides a bunch of cameos in their projects, and it feels like a lot of important characters in Doomsday weren’t officially revealed. For example, they didn’t mention Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel or Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, even though there were hints they’d be in it. Plus, remember how Chris Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch were *said* to be in Doomsday at one point, but then they weren’t on the official cast list? That’s weird, right? It also seems like some X-Men were deliberately left out of the announcements – I’m talking about Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. It’s like they’re trying to keep everything under wraps!

The MCU’s Illuminati Will Appear in Avengers: Doomsday

For years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been hinting at the arrival of the Illuminati, starting with the team from Earth-838 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A popular idea is that Avengers: Doomsday will show that Earth-616 has created its own secret group. Possible members of the Illuminati include Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Captain America, King M’Baku, and others.

If any movie were to introduce the Illuminati to the MCU, it would probably be Avengers: Doomsday. A group as strong and important as the Illuminati would be Earth’s best hope against Doctor Doom. Or, Doctor Doom’s attack could be what causes the heroes of Earth-616 to create the Illuminati during the film, which would prepare the team for future stories in the MCU. Although nothing is official yet, the Illuminati seem like a pretty good possibility to appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

Doctor Doom Needs the Ten Rings to Reach the Beyonders

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings wasn’t just a great introduction to a potentially major new hero in the MCU. The 2021 movie also established the Ten Rings as powerfully important objects within the larger Multiverse Saga. Although they were likely always intended to play a role in the story surrounding Kang the Conqueror, current reports suggest the Ten Rings will still be relevant in Avengers: Doomsday, with Doctor Doom aiming to obtain these alien artifacts for reasons that are currently unclear.

It’s likely the Ten Rings will continue to play a significant role in Avengers: Doomsday, and they might even be how Doctor Doom connects with the incredibly powerful beings called the Beyonders. In the comics, Doctor Doom defeats the Beyonders and takes their power, becoming God-Emperor Doom. The post-credits scene in Shang-Chi showed the Ten Rings sending out a signal to a mysterious recipient somewhere in the universe. Doomsday could explain that recipient is the Beyonders, providing Doctor Doom with a means to contact these formidable entities.

Franklin Richards Will Reboot the MCU

Over the past few months, Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, has hinted at what will happen after the Multiverse Saga. The Fantastic Four: First Steps recently featured a character strong enough to potentially make it happen. Franklin Richards, the child of Reed and Sue Richards, is incredibly powerful within the Marvel universe, which has led to theories suggesting he might be the one to reboot the MCU.

This idea feels quite likely, though it’s more probable we’ll see it happen in Avengers: Secret Wars instead of Doomsday. In the comics, Franklin Richards does something comparable, essentially hitting the reset button on timelines to create new storytelling opportunities. This could enable the MCU to do a soft reboot – giving some characters a fresh beginning while letting others continue their stories without interruption.

Doctor Doom is Trying to Save the Multiverse by Destroying It

Marvel found huge success with Thanos as the central villain of the Infinity Saga. This was partly because the Mad Titan genuinely believed the destruction he intended to cause was actually for the greater good. Kang the Conqueror’s motivations remain largely unknown, but some reports suggest his mission will mirror Thanos’s, as he also aims to save everything – in this case, the multiverse – from inevitable ruin.

Considering Marvel really needs to boost its popularity, it’s logical for the studio to draw inspiration from its most iconic villain when creating the next major antagonist. Doctor Doom will be crucial to the success of Avengers: Doomsday, and could be a more compelling character if viewers can grasp his actions and reasons. Even though Doctor Doom will undoubtedly be a villain, his main objective might actually be to protect the multiverse.

The Avengers and the X-Men Will Fight Each Other in Doomsday

It appears almost certain that Doomsday will feature a clash between the X-Men and the Avengers. As this marks the first time these teams are sharing the screen in live-action, a fight during their initial encounter feels like a necessary event. However, this conflict could be far more significant than it appears. With the multiverse facing destruction from incursions, the Avengers and X-Men might be forced to fight for the survival of their worlds.

The X-Men could fill the role previously held by the Ultimate Universe in Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars comic, where they had to battle their Earth-616 selves to save their reality. Rather than using the Ultimate Universe, the MCU could instead utilize Fox’s X-Men films, which already boast two decades of established stories. This would create a powerfully emotional conflict between the Avengers and the X-Men, likely resulting in the mutants’ loss, and paving the way for the MCU to relaunch the team in a future storyline.

2025-10-03 22:32