Avengers: Doomsday: Does Iron Man Become Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics?

The Big Bad of the next phase of the MCU is set with Robert Downey Jr. returning to the franchise to play Doctor Doom. However, it’s unclear whether this version of the villain will have a connection to Tony Stark. So, does Iron Man become Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics?

Has Iron Man Ever Become Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics?

Once the initial shock went away after Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, all that was left was confusion. With the multiverse being a major factor in the MCU’s latest projects, it’s not all that surprising that an actor would return in another role. However, Doctor Doom and Iron Man aren’t exactly long-long cousins; they run in different corners of the universe and only interact on rare occasions. Thankfully, there is source material that Marvel Studios can pull from that can make this transistion an easy one.

There are a couple of instances where Iron Man becomes Doctor Doom. The most prominent is Anthony Stark of Earth-5012, who lost a lot of friends during a war with Titannus and broke bad. Reed Richard begins to oppose the former hero, who goes by “Iron Maniac” and wears a costume similar to Doctor Doom’s, and banishes him to the main Marvel Earth. The heroes of that universe believe the villain is Doctor Doom and unite to take him down.

Another example of these two characters crossing paths on a large scale is a “What If?” story where Doom and Tony swap bodies while the latter is in college. With his life stolen from him, Tony swears revenge against Doom. Of course, there’s also the time that Doom filled in for Tony during the Infamous Iron Man run, but that doesn’t feel like the direction the MCU is going in.

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Pulling a Freaky Friday isn’t nearly as interesting as an evil Tony who turns to a life of evil after losing his friends. However, there’s room for Marvel Studios to borrow from various stories as they work to build up what appears to be a Thanos-level threat. Or, the powers that be could opt not to connect the characters at all, which would be a waste.

And that’s whether Iron Man becomes Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026.