Doctor Doom Is Collecting Heroes in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, Russo Brothers Confirm

Few casting reveals have shocked Marvel fans quite like Robert Downey Jr. stepping out as Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024. The actor who launched the MCU as Iron Man returned as its next great villain, and the Russo Brothers came back to direct ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘. Since then, the anticipation around Victor von Doom has only grown.

That anticipation just got a fresh jolt from an unlikely place. ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’, the theatrical re-release with new scenes, includes a post-credits sequence that finds Bruce Banner two miles underground in a military complex. He is in self-imposed isolation after the events of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, experimenting with a gamma radiation suppressor.

Doom arrives off-screen, amid flickering lights and camera glitches, and says he has come to collect Banner. Banner begins to transform, and when the light fades, both men are gone, with a glowing Latverian symbol left burned into the floor.

In an exclusive Empire interview, the magazine asked the directors what Doom’s interest in Banner might be. Joe Russo replied that “his interest may extend beyond just Banner,” adding that this was all they would say about it. Anthony Russo joked that the questioning was making them sweat.

The tease is short, but it lands with weight. It suggests that Banner is not a one-off target, and that Doom may be gathering a larger group of heroes.

Empire has noted that this scene follows a similar beat from the post-credits of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, where Doom seemingly moved to abduct Franklin Richards, the child of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Now the Hulk appears to be on his list too.

Some fans are already extending the pattern. The Direct has floated the theory that a glitching tracker app in a ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ post-credits scene could mean Peter Parker has been collected too. That remains speculation, but the Russos’ comment gives it more oxygen.

There are also reports that the film will pit the Hulk against the Thing in Latveria, since Doom seems to be controlling Banner. Those details are unconfirmed, and the Russos have not addressed them.

He used to be different.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters everywhere December 18. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/J5PUbxvAkc pic.twitter.com/OUutSMZneq

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 15, 2026

The directors also explained what the new ‘Endgame Encore’ scenes are for. Joe Russo confirmed they were shot specifically to bridge the gap between ‘Endgame’ and ‘Doomsday’, which means audiences should not expect to see them again in the new film.

Another new sequence shows the TVA discovering thousands of incursions, as universes begin to collide. It is less an expansion of ‘Endgame’ than a missing step in building the threat that brings Doom into play.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ opens exclusively in theaters on Dec. 18. Its official synopsis promises heroes from 3 distinct universes on a deadly collision course, facing an existential threat unlike anything they have encountered.

Downey Jr. leads as Doom, alongside a huge ensemble that includes Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Florence Pugh. The Fox X-Men actors are also on board, including Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Filming took place from April to September 2025 at Pinewood Studios in England.

The Russos are directing from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron. Their follow-up, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’, is scheduled for Dec. 17, 2027.

The Russo Brothers are notorious for keeping their cards close to their chest, so a line like this is rare. It hints at how much of the film’s story could be built on Doom quietly assembling pieces.

Whether he is recruiting, controlling or punishing the heroes he collects, the message is clear: Doom’s plan is bigger than 1 scientist in a bunker. With less than 3 months until release, the fan theories are unlikely to slow down.

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