(Photo Credit: Marvel)
Avengers: Doomsday is easily the most eagerly anticipated of the MCU offerings releasing in 2026. There are several reasons for this. Chief among them is the promise of an epic story worthy of the ensemble confirmed to be appearing in the movie.
That story lies at the heart of most of the theories concerning Avengers: Doomsday. For obvious reasons, Marvel Studios has kept the actual plot of the movie as secret as possible. Many potential spoilers, such as Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as Doctor Strange, were successfully hidden until the actors admitted their involvement.
Best Avengers: Doomsday Theories as of May 2026
In determining the best Avengers: Doomsday theories, we have opted for variety as well as plausibility. For instance, while it is possible that Chris Evans is playing the evil Captain America from the Secret Empire storyline, it seems unlikely. However, we also opted to avoid those theories which seem too obvious to qualify as theories. Chief among these is the film’s story being based on the 2015 Secret Wars comic book event, purely because the next movie is titled Avengers: Secret Wars.
Doctor Doom is a Tony Stark variant
(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
When it was revealed that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as Doctor Doom, many fans cried foul. While undeniably a great actor, RDJ is also synonymous with the role of Iron Man. Many feared that, even with his face hidden behind a mask, it would be impossible to see Downey as anyone other than Tony Stark. This gave rise to the idea that the Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday is a Tony Star variant from another Earth.
This idea is not entirely without merit. There have been several storylines in the comics where the Doctor Doom identity was assumed by a hero. Indeed, such is the case in the second Ultimate Universe, where Doctor Doom is that reality’s Reed Richards.
There have also been several What If? stories where Doctor Doom and Tony Stark switched bodies or assumed one another’s identities. And in the main Marvel setting, Earth-616, Doctor Doom briefly assumed the Iron Man name for a time when Tony Stark was presumed dead. Any of these ideas could explain why the MCU Doctor Doom resembles Tony Stark.
As plausible as this theory is, however, it has already been debunked.
In an interview with Business Standard, Robert Downey Jr. discussed how Kevin Feige persuaded him to sign on for Avengers: Doomsday. Essentially, Feige explained the story of Doctor Doom from the comics and who Victor Von Doom truly was. This was a point of concern, as earlier Fantastic Four film adaptations took drastic liberties with Doom’s background and powers. After Downey did his own research, he agreed with Feige that they should “get Victor Von Doom right.” Making him a variant of Tony Stark would completely defeat that point.
Doctor Doom will be a misunderstood hero
While Avengers: Doomsday will undoubtedly feature Victor Von Doom, that still leaves a lot of latitude regarding his portrayal. Doctor Doom is one of the most complex characters in all of Marvel Comics. Normally he is an antagonistic character, particularly in the Avengers and Fantastic Four comics. However, Doctor Doom also has a strict code of honor while lacking any sense of guilt for his actions. Despite this, he will keep his word once it has been given.
There are many stories where Doctor Doom joins forces with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against a common enemy. He has also been shown taking seemingly sinister actions in the name of a greater good. This conflict has figured heavily into the current One World Under Doom event, where Doom becomes Emperor of Earth after claiming the title of Sorcerer Supreme. More recently, in a crossover between Marvel Comics and Godzilla, Doom took the initiative in protecting Earth from a Godzilla that acquired the Power Cosmic.
It’s easy to see a scenario in Avengers: Doomsday where Doctor Doom’s activities attract the attention of multiple heroes. This could lead to a running battle across reality, as the heroes join forces to fight Doctor Doom. However, it could turn out that Doom was seeking to avert a greater evil, which will set up the main conflict of Avengers: Secret Wars.
Doctor Doom seeks the MCU’s main anchor beings
One core question in most of the Avengers: Doomsday theories concerns the precise goals of Doctor Doom. We know the story will involve superheroes from multiple realities, but there’s little sense of how they will come to be united. The answer may lie within the most unlikely recent addition into the MCU canon: Deadpool and Wolverine.
The story of Deadpool and Wolverine introduced the idea of anchor beings. Also known as nexus beings, they are people are so pivotal to their universe that their death will trigger the destruction of that timeline. Wolverine was confirmed to be the anchor being of Earth-10005. This was the designation given to the reality of the Fox X-Men movies after Days of Future Past.
This theory proposes this is why Doctor Doom sought Franklin Richards in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Franklin was confirmed to be a being of power, who could potentially replace Galactus. While this doesn’t necessarily make him an anchor being, it seems highly likely that his death might similarly destabilize his reality. This makes sense if Doom’s ultimate goal is trying to merge the damaged realities into a single universe under his control. The Doctor Doom of the comics did something similar in the 2015 Secret Wars event.
Doomsday based on 2019 Doctor Doom series
One interesting statement sheds lights on Doctor Doom’s motivations in Avengers: Doomsday. Insider Daniel Richtman reported hearing that the MCU Doctor Doom had a “vendetta against the Multiverse.” This brings to mind a subplot from the 2019 Doctor Doom monthly comic.
The plot of the 2019 Doctor Doom series found the sovereign of Latveria tormented by visions of a perfect world. There, he had a loving wife and children, and the people of Latveria were safe and happy. These visions were at odds with his reality at the time, as Doom was framed for an act of terrorism he didn’t commit and his nation threatened accordingly.
Ultimately, Doom learned these visions were of another reality. One where he had become the benevolent guide of a better world. However, he destroyed that reality after his variant self spoke of forgiving his enemies, including Reed Richards.
It is all too easy to see a variant Doctor Doom reacting to the Multiverse with similar fury. The thought of any world where his will is not absolute could lead him to destroy all other realities. The threat posed by such a Doom could easily unite the many heroes known to be in Avengers: Doomsday.
Doomsday based on Ultimate Comics: Doomsday
Most of the theories regarding Avengers: Doomsday presume that it is at least partly based on the 2015 Secret War event. This is logical, even ignoring that the sequel is titled Avengers: Secret Wars. The comic features Doctor Doom as the main character and involves the merging of several universes through incursions. However, there is another storyline with a similar plot, which was collected under the name Ultimate Comics: Doomsday.
Published across 12 issues in 2010-2011, Ultimate Comics: Doomsday concerned an unknown threat trying to alter the reality of the first Ultimate Universe. This threat was ultimately unveiled as that world’s Reed Richards. He later took on the alias of The Maker and became a threat to multiple realities.
It seems unlikely that a variant Reed Richards will turn out to be the real villain of Avengers: Doomsday. And yet, it would be a a brilliant twist to pit a heroic Doctor Doom against such a threat. In any case, with multiple hero teams taking a stand against a reality altering villain, the plot does mirror the basic structure of Ultimate Comics: Doomsday.
