One new MCU star’s hopes for Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom suggest the next best thing to an Iron Man crossover for the upcoming hero. With the convention’s Marvel panel, 2024’s San Diego Comic-Con brought a lot of exciting updates about the MCU, but by far the biggest was the announcement that Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. would be appearing on the big screen in upcoming Marvel releases – but this time as a notable villain.
Naturally, many of the MCU’s actors have responded to this twist, offering their personal opinions on the casting as well as their speculations about what it might mean for their individual characters. There are many different answers to both questions, with some characters having a long history with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark and others never having had direct interactions with the hero. Many of these answers offer some intriguing possibilities for the MCU timeline and its future. In fact, a specific answer may indicate that a seemingly unachievable crossover receives a significant payout of a different kind.
Ironheart Fighting Doctor Doom is the next best thing to Riri Williams meeting Iron Man
Unfortunately, with Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame, Riri Williams’ chances of meeting the main character in the MCU appear slim. Although Tony Stark’s AI assists Ironheart in the comics, this does not appear to be possible in the MCU, as the franchise has not hinted at such a scenario. In fact, the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron indicate that Tony may have destroyed anything remotely resembling this type of AI project. Similarly, returning as an artificial intelligence would jeopardize the character’s remarkable impact and selfless sacrifice in the MCU.
However, with Robert Downey Jr. cast as Doctor Doom, this can be used to address the Iron Man legacy and how it has been passed down to characters such as Ironheart, Spider-Man, and War Machine. The franchise could directly address this by making Doom an Iron Man variant, as many popular theories suggest, and having characters such as Ironheart react to this warped version of their inspiration. Approaching things from this angle may also give Doctor Doom’s story more weight by allowing it to serve as the antithesis to Iron Man’s.
Even if Doom isn’t in-universe linked to Iron Man, this presents an excellent opportunity to pass the torch in a real-life setting, which would be a shame to miss. MCU films are no strangers to making meta references to real-world events, particularly those involving Marvel and other Marvel films, and even a passing line that alludes to Ironheart meeting Iron Man could pay off in terms of connecting their overarching stories.
Why Ironheart Needs to Meet Robert Downey Jr. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Ironheart is one of the characters who is essentially a successor to the iconic Marvel hero, so while her story does not necessarily need to have strong connections to Iron Man from the MCU, it would undoubtedly help. It makes particular sense to take advantage of the fact that Robert Downey Jr. has now rejoined the MCU by having Ironheart engage with a character portrayed by the Iron Man actor, even if that character isn’t Tony Stark. This is even more important for Ironheart because other heirs, such as Spider-Man and War Machine, have a long and illustrious relationship with the hero.
This is doubly true, given Avengers: Doomsday is set to be a major crossover film, with Doctor Doom serving as the series’ main villain, succeeding Kang and the original Avengers 5 plans for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. With this backdrop in mind, having Ironheart and the actor who plays the hero’s predecessor meet appears to be standard procedure, as it can be done in a way that flows naturally into the overall story.
When Ironheart Could Fight Doctor Doom in the MCU
Since Doctor Doom is confirmed to play a major antagonist role in the film, Ironheart appears to have the best chance of facing him in Avengers: Doomsday. This is especially true given that Ironheart’s solo Disney+ series will have more to reveal about her personal hero arc in the run-up to the fifth Avengers film. But this isn’t the only location where the gathering—and possible fight—might occur.
The story of Avengers: Secret Wars may be a more tenable place for a fight involving Doctor Doom and Ironheart, as the film is teased to be a massive crossover, making Ironheart’s potential appearance seem almost inevitable. Similarly, Secret Wars may be the best place for the passing of any proverbial torches to occur, as it is the final film in the Multiverse Saga and thus the second Saga’s own Endgame, as well as a prime location to set up for the next era of Marvel’s on-screen empire.
Ultimately, however, it will be unclear whether the two characters will ever meet until these installments are released and more information about Doctor Doom and Ironheart’s respective stories is revealed. However, the possibility highlights the strengths of Robert Downey Jr.’s new MCU casting even before he appears on-screen, raising some hopeful potential scenarios for the future – and allowing elements of Iron Man’s story to get some potential final payoffs without tampering with the franchise’s most important and beloved hero’s legacy.