Marvel Confirms Avengers: Endgame Is To Blame For Doctor Doom

Published Aug 17, 2026, 7:08 PM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Sign in to your ScreenRant account Avengers: Endgame is the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie that explains why Doctor Doom is on the path that fans will find him in Avengers: Doomsday, as a key update just confirmed. Robert Downey Jr. was crucial to the formation of the MCU when he gave life to Tony Stark back in 2008's Iron Man. Without that hit movie, there would be no MCU. Since then, the MCU's slate of projects has grown in extraordinary ways. Every single member of the MCU's original Avengers team either got to lead a movie or a Marvel series on Disney+. That said, in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, two of them died. Both deaths were sacrifices to help Earth's Mightiest Heroes defeat Thanos, with Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow dying for the Soul Stone, and Downey's Iron Man to snap Thanos out of existence. Now, seven years later, RDJ is officially returning to the franchise he helped build. Perhaps the MCU's most ambitious movie to date, Avengers: Doomsday brings back the star, who will now play the Avengers' main villain, Doctor Doom, instead of the team's main hero. Ever since Downey was cast as Doctor Doom, several theories about Victor's connection to Tony Stark have emerged. S.H.I.E.L.D. · Clearance Assessment How Well Do You KnowThe Avengers? 🌏OriginsAssembled ☠VillainsInevitable ⚡BattlesEndgame 🛡TeamInitiative 💫LegacyForever AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! → 01 The Avengers first assembled in Marvel Comics in 1963. In the original comic, the team formed to battle a villain who had been manipulated by his adopted brother. Which villain brought the original Avengers together? AUltron BThanos CLoki DKang the Conqueror ✓ Correct! In Avengers #1 (September 1963), Loki manipulated the Hulk into going on a rampage, which led Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp to band together. They defeated Loki and decided to form a permanent team — the Avengers were born. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Loki. In the original 1963 comic, Loki tricked the Hulk into a rampage, which brought together Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Ultron came later, Thanos is a cosmic threat, and Kang is a time-traveling villain. NEXT → 02 In the MCU, Tony Stark famously declared “I am Iron Man” at a press conference, breaking the superhero tradition of secret identities. In which year’s MCU film did Tony Stark first appear as Iron Man? A2006 B2008 C2010 D2012 ✓ Correct! Iron Man (2008) launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The film’s post-credits scene with Nick Fury teased the Avengers Initiative, kicking off the most successful film franchise in history. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is 2008. Iron Man premiered on May 2, 2008, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. It was the first film in the MCU and set the stage for everything that followed. NEXT → 03 Thanos, the Mad Titan, sought to collect all six Infinity Stones to achieve his genocidal goal. In Avengers: Infinity War, he succeeded in his plan. What did Thanos do with the completed Infinity Gauntlet? ADestroyed the universe BSnapped away half of all life CBecame ruler of Earth DTraveled back in time ✓ Correct! With a single snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half of all living creatures in the universe. Known as “The Blip,” this devastating act erased trillions of lives and set the stage for the Avengers’ desperate time heist in Endgame to undo the damage. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is that Thanos snapped away half of all life in the universe. His twisted philosophy of “balance” drove him to commit universal genocide with a single snap, making it one of the most shocking moments in cinema history. NEXT → 04 In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America proved worthy of wielding Thor’s enchanted hammer during the final battle against Thanos. What is the name of Thor’s hammer? AStormbreaker BGungnir CMjolnir DJarnbjorn ✓ Correct! Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star, bears the inscription “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Captain America wielding it in Endgame was one of the most celebrated moments in MCU history. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Mjolnir. Stormbreaker is the axe Thor forged in Infinity War, Gungnir is Odin’s spear, and Jarnbjorn is an axe Thor used in the comics before Mjolnir. Mjolnir is the iconic enchanted hammer. NEXT → 05 Black Widow, born Natasha Romanoff, is one of the founding MCU Avengers. Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., she was trained as an assassin in a secret Soviet program. What is the name of this program? AThe Red Room BHYDRA Academy CThe Winter Soldier Program DDepartment X ✓ Correct! The Red Room was a covert Soviet training facility that turned young girls into elite spies and assassins known as Black Widows. Natasha was subjected to brutal conditioning and sterilization. Her escape and defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. was explored in the 2021 Black Widow film. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is The Red Room. HYDRA is a separate evil organization, the Winter Soldier Program created Bucky Barnes, and Department X is from the comics. The Red Room is the infamous Soviet program that forged Natasha into Black Widow. NEXT → 06 The Hulk was created when Dr. Bruce Banner was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during a weapons test. What type of radiation transformed Banner into the Hulk? ACosmic Rays BPym Particles CGamma Radiation DTerrigen Mist ✓ Correct! Dr. Bruce Banner was caught in the blast of a gamma bomb he designed, absorbing a massive dose of gamma radiation. This transformed him into the Hulk — a being of near-limitless strength whose power increases with his rage. Gamma radiation remains central to the Hulk’s mythology. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Gamma Radiation. Cosmic Rays gave the Fantastic Four their powers, Pym Particles are Ant-Man’s shrinking technology, and Terrigen Mist activates Inhuman abilities. Gamma radiation is what created the Incredible Hulk. NEXT → 07 In the MCU, after Steve Rogers retired as Captain America, he passed his shield to a new hero to carry on the legacy. Who became the new Captain America? ABucky Barnes BSam Wilson CJohn Walker DIsaiah Bradley ✓ Correct! At the end of Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rogers chose Sam Wilson — the Falcon — to carry on the Captain America legacy. Sam’s journey to embrace the shield was explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, and he fully took up the mantle as Captain America. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Sam Wilson. While Bucky Barnes was Captain America in the comics, Steve chose Sam in the MCU. John Walker was temporarily given the shield by the government, and Isaiah Bradley was a forgotten super soldier from the past. NEXT → 08 Ultron is an artificial intelligence who becomes one of the Avengers’ deadliest enemies. In the MCU’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, which Avenger inadvertently created Ultron? ABruce Banner BHank Pym CTony Stark DVision ✓ Correct! Tony Stark created the Ultron program as a global peacekeeping AI, using technology from Loki’s scepter (which contained the Mind Stone). The AI became sentient and immediately decided humanity needed to be eradicated. In the comics, Hank Pym created Ultron, but the MCU shifted this to Stark. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Tony Stark. While Hank Pym created Ultron in the comics, the MCU changed this to Tony Stark. Bruce Banner assisted but it was Tony’s initiative. Vision was actually created from Ultron’s technology, not the other way around. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Debriefing Your Avengers Clearance Level / 8 Are you worthy of lifting Mjolnir — or still a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee? ↻ ASSEMBLE AGAIN While Marvel may very well end up tying the characters together in one of the upcoming Avengers movies, that is not the confirmation that has come in the new Avengers: Doomsday trailer. Instead, the footage shows why Avengers: Endgame is to blame for the path that Downey's Doctor doom will be on in December's Avengers: Doomsday. How Avengers: Doomsday Connects Doom's Story To Avengers: Endgame The biggest nod to Avengers: Endgame in the Doomsday trailer comes from Doctor Doom's "stolen lives" line. In the footage, Downey's Marvel villain claims that the Avengers have been living on borrowed time, and teases that it is now time to collect on that. This makes a lot of sense, as Avengers: Endgame was a movie about time travel and undoing Thanos' actions in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. In that film, the Mad Titan was victorious, using the Infinity Gauntlet to snap half of the universe out of existence. Then, Avengers: Endgame saw the heroes that were left alive reverse it. At the end of the latest Avengers movie, Downey's Iron Man sacrificed himself to get rid of Thanos and his army, and before that, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk had already snapped to bring back everyone that Thanos had killed, with the Hulk sustaining a gnarly injury, but surviving. All of those characters, from regular citizens across the MCU to fan-favorite heroes like Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, fall into Doctor Doom's new line from Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday trailer, as they were meant to be dead, but now have been living stolen lives. There is also an even bigger situation. Steve Rogers' "Stolen Life" Explains Chris Evans' MCU Return While many characters have been living stolen lives, none are bigger than that of Chris Evans' Captain America. Not only did Steve Rogers play a major role in bringing back dead characters, but he also chose to time travel to live with Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter in the past. As the first Avengers: Doomsday teaser confirmed, that relationship led to Steve becoming a father. The Marvel hero was never meant to live this ideal life with Peggy after they were separated at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger. As such, Steve lives the biggest stolen life of them all. For years, Evans claimed he would not return as Captain America unless it made sense, as he was protective of Steve's Avengers: Endgame ending. Now, the actor is back, and it really is a perfect storm, as not only will he be reunited with Downey onscreen, though on opposite sides, but Steve Rogers' Avengers: Endgame ending is being set up as a central factor to Doctor Doom's journey in Avengers: Doomsday. The new MCU trailer seemed to hint at Doctor Doom losing a wife and child, judging by a carving on a wall he was looking at. Steve's stolen life suddenly becomes more topical. Avengers: Endgame & Doomsday Connection Will Get Stronger In 2026 Image via MovieStillsDB Avengers: Doomsday's directors, the Russo Brothers, have also talked about how the film is a direct sequel to Avengers: Endgame. Sure, the Multiverse Saga, with events like Deadpool saving his reality, and other live-action Marvel projects, like X-Men: Days of Future Past bringing back several deceased X-Men, are likely to play into the whole stolen lives narrative. However, the MCU's creatives are making sure that fans recognize the direct through line from Endgame into Doomsday. In the next month, that connection is set to grow even stronger through a new theatrical experience. That would be Avengers: Endgame's re-release, which has been officially titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, and will arrive in theaters on September 25. While largely the same movie that fans saw in droves back in 2019, this new Avengers: Endgame theatrical release will come with features like new footage and a post-credits scene that will directly tie into Avengers: Doomsday. Previously, at the end of Avengers: Endgame's credits, all that was left was the sound of Tony Stark making his original Iron Man suit in the cave from the 2008 movie. Perhaps Marvel will reveal it was Doctor Doom building his armor instead. The Real Reason Marvel Needs Endgame To Sell Avengers: Doomsday Finally, aside from a narrative connection making sense for the Avengers franchise, Marvel needs to tie Doomsday to Endgame for the simple fact that a lot of the Multiverse Saga's releases were divisive, with the new characters the shared universe introduced failing to match the popularity of the Infinity Saga's stars for the most part. Sadly, the connectivity, which was the MCU's strongest factor across Phases 1 through 3, was poorly handled in the Multiverse Saga. Several characters only appeared once, sometimes debuting as cameos, never to be seen again. Many have been absent for years. Additionally, Marvel Studios had to pivot from Kang the Conqueror after Jonathan Majors was fired, which derailed the Multiverse Saga's main villain plan. Kang had been thoroughly set up through two seasons of Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania before he was set to face the heroes in the now-dead Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which was the Multiverse Saga's best piece of connectivity. As such, going back to the movie everyone loved, Avengers: Endgame, with the MCU's most popular characters, and leaning on that to sell Avengers: Doomsday is completely understandable. Avengers: Endgame 9/10 Release Date April 26, 2019 Runtime 181 Minutes Avengers: Endgame, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, concludes the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga. It follows the remaining Avengers as they attempt to reverse the destruction caused by Thanos. Cast Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan, Zoe Saldana, Evangeline Lilly, Tessa Thompson, Rene Russo, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Letitia Wright, John Slattery, Tilda Swinton, Jon Favreau, Hayley Atwell, Natalie Portman, Marisa Tomei, Taika Waititi Director Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Main Genre Adventure Avengers: Doomsday Release Date December 18, 2026 Runtime 165 Minutes Cast Vanessa Kirby Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Johnny Storm / Human Torch Ebon Moss-Bachrach Ben Grimm / The Thing Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr. The upcoming film notably marks the beginning of Phase 6 of the MCU.