Robert Downey Jr. Drops Cryptic Tease for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ — And It’s Tied to an Upcoming Release
Marvel fans have been buzzing online ever since Robert Downey Jr. posted something strange from the set of Avengers: Doomsday. The photo, at first glance, didn’t look like much.
Just a vintage comic book cover. But die-hard comic readers knew exactly what it was, West Coast Avengers #35. That issue came out in 1988 and was written by Steve Englehart, with art by Al Milgrom. It features Doctor Doom, but not the version fans are used to.
In this story, Doom is stuck in the body of a younger version of himself, Kristoff Vernard. The issue has a pretty wild plot that includes Doom fighting Khonshu, yes, the same moon god that gives Moon Knight his powers, and even capturing a few Avengers.
The fact that Downey shared that specific comic has fans wondering what it means for his character. His post also showed he was listening to a song called Change of Scenery by his son, Indio Downey, which added another layer of mystery. The big question now: does this comic hint at how he’ll play Doctor Doom in the future?
Downey was recently revealed as Doom in the mid-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and it looks like things are about to get serious. In that scene, which jumps four years into the future, Sue Storm (played by Vanessa Kirby) is reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to her son, Franklin Richards.
When she leaves the room, a hooded figure dressed in green shows up. He’s silent. He kneels beside Franklin, holding the child’s hand in one of his, and in the other, he’s got Doom’s silver mask. He doesn’t say a word, but fans instantly knew who it was.
The comic Downey posted is also fueling talk about a new Avengers lineup. The West Coast Avengers team in the comics was kind of the little brother of the original group. It had characters like Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Mockingbird, and US Agent. People are now wondering if Marvel is getting ready to build this team in the movies too.
And here’s where things get even more interesting. This isn’t the first time the West Coast Avengers have been mentioned in the context of the MCU. Marvel’s Head of Streaming and TV, Brad Winderbaum, recently talked about the upcoming Wonder Man series on the Phase Hero podcast. He hinted that the show might tie into the WCA storyline.
He said, “You know it’s a two-hander between two amazing characters. There’s this odd couple of Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery and you get a little bit of glimpse of that in the trailer. I don’t wanna go too much into story details, it’s very fun to see people speculating about what the plot will be.”
He added, “That is part of the fun of it. If you’re a fan of West Coast Avengers and know a little bit about Simon Williams you’re going to be… I mean, I hope if you’re anything like me, you’re going to be very excited to see how much homage to the source material there is.”
And finally, he said, “It really is a love letter to Hollywood in a lot of ways.”
This pretty much confirms what fans have been suspecting for a while. There have already been reports that Wonder Man, Armor Wars, and Vision were supposed to be connected, and that they might be building toward a full-on West Coast Avengers team. It’s not official yet, but the clues are piling up.
So, with Downey teasing Doom, the Russos dropping hints, and Winderbaum connecting the dots, it’s starting to look like Marvel has big plans for the West Coast Avengers. Whether it’s in Avengers: Doomsday or a future movie or show, fans are watching closely.
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