Did Robert Downey Jr. Just Tease an Iron Man Comeback?

Robert Downey Jr. just tossed another log on the Avengers: Doomsday hype fire, and yeah, it leans hard into the Iron Man vs. Doctor Doom thing everyone keeps whispering about. If Marvel is playing the long game with this rollout, Downey is happily doing the winking for them.

The tease: Iron Man, Doom, and a Thanksgiving wishbone

On Thanksgiving, Downey dropped an Instagram image that looks like a comic panel: Iron Man and Doctor Doom snapping a wishbone for luck.

You only see their shoulders and hands, but the point lands. It immediately kicked up the ongoing chatter about whether he is playing both roles in Avengers: Doomsday or just Doom with some multiverse shenanigans bringing Tony Stark back.

"Iron Man is definitely coming back in Secret Wars"

"RDJ AS IRON MAN AND DR. DOOM!!!"

That dual-role speculation isn’t coming out of nowhere. Downey has already been confirmed as Doctor Doom for Doomsday, and the way he’s been teasing it feels very deliberate. Back in May, he posted the cover of DOOM #1 (2024) along with a tongue-in-cheek stack of items labeled as his 'Doom workstation essentials.' Then came the holiday bits: a Doctor Doom mask stuffed with chocolates for Valentine’s Day, and a Mother’s Day photo of Susan Downey as Sue Storm while her mom knits Doom’s costume. Subtle? Not really. Effective? Absolutely.

What Marvel is (and isn’t) showing

Marvel’s keeping this thing in a vault. No major set leaks, no footage, nothing that gives the game away beyond Downey’s curated nudges. That said, the bigger marketing plan is starting to take shape around it.

• Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo are at the helm.
• Release date: Marvel has Avengers: Doomsday set for December 18, 2026.
• Cast (so far): Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
• First trailer timing: Per Collider, Marvel is aiming to drop it December 19, 2025, playing in front of Avatar: Fire and Ash screenings.
• Current status: Ultra-quiet production; no official footage out in the wild.

So, is Iron Man actually back?

The post doesn’t confirm anything beyond Downey’s ongoing commitment to the bit, but it’s a pretty loud nudge given he’s already locked in as Doom. If Marvel really parks the first trailer a full year before release, tying it to Avatar makes sense, and it also suggests they’re confident enough to let the speculation machine do half the work in the meantime.

In short: Downey knows exactly what he’s doing. And if this is the start of the Doomsday drumbeat, expect more carefully chosen breadcrumbs before Marvel finally shows us something real.