New Avenger Sebastian Stan Teases Casualties Ahead in Avengers: Doomsday
The line has been drawn: with cuts looming, we'll soon see who makes it and who doesn't.
MCU overload is coming in 2026, but let’s be real: the one everybody is going to obsess over is Avengers: Doomsday. Not just because it’s a new Avengers movie, but because Robert Downey Jr. is back — not as Tony Stark, but as Doctor Doom. Yes, that sentence is real.
RDJ as Doom, and the Russos back in the big chair
Avengers: Doomsday is being directed by the Russo Brothers, and the hook is a whopper: Downey Jr. is playing the Fantastic Four’s classic villain, Doctor Doom, who will be going head-to-helmet with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. One of the film’s stars, Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes himself), just hinted that this one won’t be handing out participation trophies in the end credits.
Stan’s tease from Tokyo
Speaking at Tokyo Comic-Con, Stan kept it cagey but made it sound like the stakes are very real. His enthusiasm for Downey’s comeback says a lot about the energy around this thing.
"I don't know if I can say very much about that. I don't know what's going to happen. We'll see who makes it or who doesn't. I think the most exciting thing is Robert Downey Jr., one of the greatest, coming back. He's definitely going to have something in store for everybody."
And then comes Secret Wars
Doomsday is only part one of the plan. It leads directly into Avengers: Secret Wars, which Marvel fans already know is where things can get messy. The comics have actually had two different Secret Wars runs — the 1984 version and the 2015 version — and that 2015 story mashed different Marvel universes together, with some characters not making it out. Translation: the next phase could deal out fates worse than getting dusted and then fixed in Endgame.
At least one familiar face is confirmed to make it through to that next movie: Letitia Wright has said she is set to be back for Secret Wars in 2027.
- Robert Downey Jr. returns as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday
- Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
- Sebastian Stan hints not everyone survives Doomsday
- Avengers: Secret Wars follows in 2027, with Letitia Wright set to return
- Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters December 18, 2026
Bottom line: if they’re bringing back RDJ to play Doom, they’re not playing it safe. Buckle up.