Robert Downey Jr shocks MCU watchers with an Iron Man hint buried inside his 'Avengers: Doomsday' post

Highlights:

• New Robert Downey Jr post pushes talk around Avengers: Doomsday again.
• Comic-style Iron Man and Doctor Doom image fuels theories about a dual role.
• Trailer expected to land on 19 December, tied to Avatar: Fire and Ash.
• Marvel keeping the film sealed, no real leaks, no plot clues.

Robert Downey Jr’s new Avengers: Doomsday tease put Iron Man back in the picture with a single Instagram image. His Thanksgiving post on Instagram showed a tight comic-book shot: only the arms and shoulders of Iron Man and Doctor Doom, both pulling a wishbone.

Robert Downey Jr’s new 'Avengers: Doomsday' tease puts Iron Man back in play and fans sense a twist Instagram/robertdowneyjr

Why Avengers: Doomsday keeps circling back to Robert Downey Jr

Downey’s shift from Iron Man to Doctor Doom has been one of Marvel’s biggest casting moves in years. He carried the MCU for more than a decade. Now he is playing Victor von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, with Secret Wars next after that. Since the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con last year, the question on everyone’s mind was: is Tony Stark somehow part of this chapter?

The wishbone post hits that pressure point. It is short, playful, and gives nothing away, yet it places Iron Man and Doctor Doom in the same frame again.

Fans filled the comments within minutes. One asked if he was hinting at “Tony coming back”. Another guessed a “dual role incoming”. Fan theories come fast, even when the image shows almost nothing.

How the Avengers: Doomsday tease fits the MCU timeline

Avengers: Doomsday sits deep in Marvel’s Multiverse Saga, so the door for alternate versions, variants, or linked story threads is already open. The film lands on 18 December 2026. It is directed by the Russo brothers, who already steered the MCU through Infinity War and Endgame.

The ensemble brings back Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Florence Pugh, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Vanessa Kirby, Paul Rudd and more. Collider reports that the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer will drop on 19 December this year, planned to run ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. A smart bit of placement, considering the last two Avatar films cleared the £1.6 billion (approximately ₹16,800 crore) mark worldwide.

What Robert Downey Jr has been posting around Doctor Doom

The Thanksgiving tease was not a one-off. Earlier this year, Downey shared the DOOM #1 (2024) comic on his desk and called it part of his “workstation essentials”. On Valentine’s Day he posted a Doctor Doom mask filled with chocolates. Another time he shared an image of Susan Downey styled as Sue Storm, with her mother knitting Doom’s armour.

Marvel has not said anything formal to match the posts. But the rhythm of it all suggests Downey is already warming up the space around Avengers: Doomsday.