New Avengers: Doomsday image seemingly reveals first look at Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom – and Marvel fans are loving the design

Robert Downey Jr reveals himself as Doctor Doom to a delighted crowd at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

  • Marvel has seemingly revealed the first image for the MCU's Doctor Doom
  • Robert Downey Jr will play the masked supervillain in the next two Avengers movies
  • Promotional art featuring Doom's costume is on display at a Disney marketing expo

Marvel has seemingly unveiled how Doctor Doom will look in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The masked supervillain, who'll be the primary antagonist of Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars, will be portrayed by Marvel superstar Robert Downey Jr. And, despite the fact Avengers: Doomsday won't land in theaters until December 2026, we might have received our first official look at what Doom will, well, look like in both movies.

Our first glimpse at Doom, which shows him sporting his classic super-suit from the comics, is part of a wider promotional display at a Disney marketing expo currently taking place in Shanghai, China.

The above image, which – at the time of this article's publication – has circulated online for around 18 hours, suggests Downey Jr's Doom will come equipped with his iconic metal mask, green hooded cloak, chainmail-style armor, and metallic gauntlets.

Now, there's no official confirmation that this is how Doom will look in the fifth and sixth Avengers films. After all, the full Disney promotional banner, which you can see below, shows a version of Spider-Man that doesn't look anything like the new suit that Tom Holland will wear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It's possible, then, that this promo image of Doom isn't what Downey Jr's portrayal will look like in Avengers 5 and its follow-up.

That hasn't stopped MCU fans from commenting on the design, though – and many have reacted positively to the prospect of Downey Jr's iteration wearing a near-identical costume to the popular one that Doom wears in Marvel literature.

Indeed, threads that have appeared in sub-Reddits, such as r/marvelstudiospoilers and r/marvelstudios, are full of fans praising Doom's aesthetic and/or praying that this is the attire that Downey Jr's take on the character will don in two of the most anticipated Marvel Phase 6 movies. In fact, one observer has come up with an intriguing fan theory that speculates whether aspects of Doom's costume might hold some clues about which heroes he'll ally himself with or target in order to obtain their magical artifacts, tech, and/or superpowers.

There's been plenty more for fans to speculate and/or comment on about Doomsday in recent months.

Earlier this week, a new Avengers: Doomsday image had fans scrambling to work out what it's teasing. Meanwhile, in July, Downey Jr sparked a big fan theory over a possible dual role in Doomsday, before a cryptic post from another major MCU star sparked a frenzied fan reaction over their potential appearance in Avengers 5.

Avengers: Doomsday will fly into theaters on December 18, 2026. For more on one of 2026's most exciting new movies, check out my dedicated guide on Avengers: Doomsday and then read the section below for other interesting information on the superhero flick.

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Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.


An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.


Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

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