Credit: Marvel StudiosThe Marvel Cinematic Universe has gone through its fair share of twists, reinventions, and bold moves. But nothing quite compares to what’s unfolding right now.
With Avengers: Doomsday (2026) on the horizon, it feels like Disney is deliberately rewinding the clock and taking us straight back to the storytelling strategy that defined Avengers: Infinity War (2018). And in many ways, that’s exactly what they’re doing.
Why Infinity War Became the Blueprint
When Infinity War hit theaters in 2018, audiences walked in expecting the Avengers themselves to take center stage. After all, the MCU had been carefully building toward that moment since the very first Iron Man in 2008. But what we actually got was something totally different: Thanos as the lead character. His arc wasn’t just the glue holding the film together—it was the film.
By shifting the perspective to the villain, Marvel elevated the stakes in a way that few superhero movies had done before. Thanos wasn’t just a looming threat; he was the protagonist in his own story. His mission to collect the Infinity Stones and reshape the universe gave Infinity War a cohesion that kept fans riveted, even as dozens of heroes shared screen time.
Now, Disney and Marvel are tapping back into that formula for Avengers: Doomsday—and the move is sparking just as much debate as it did in 2018.
Enter Doctor Doom
As we’ve already shared, the big news shaking up the MCU is Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Victor von Doom. Yes, the same actor who defined Tony Stark/Iron Man for over a decade is back, but this time he’s not the quippy billionaire hero. Instead, he’s the armored despot of Latveria—one of Marvel’s most legendary villains.
Reports suggest that, just like Thanos before him, Doctor Doom will be treated as the main character of Avengers: Doomsday. The Russo Brothers, who directed both Infinity War and Endgame, are once again behind the camera, and they know the power of telling a story through the villain’s eyes.
This is no small gamble. Doom hasn’t been properly introduced in the MCU yet, and unlike Thanos—who had years of cameos building him up—Doom is essentially walking in cold. That means Doomsday has to do double duty: tell his origin story while also delivering the explosive action expected from an Avengers movie.
The Shift From Kang to Doom
One of the most fascinating parts of this pivot is how sudden it was. For years, Kang the Conqueror was supposed to be the Multiverse Saga’s big bad. We met him in Loki and again in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The stage seemed set for Kang variants to wage an all-out Multiversal War.
But behind the scenes, things changed. Marvel scrapped Kang’s central role and redirected the story toward Doom. That late decision left Doom without the kind of long build-up Thanos enjoyed, which explains why the filmmakers are putting so much emphasis on him in Doomsday. If he’s going to work as the overarching villain, he has to command the movie from the start.
Doom’s Rumored Mission
Rumors swirling around the film hint at a deeply personal motivation for Doom. According to insiders, Doom believes that Steve Rogers’ time-traveling choices in Endgame created the incursions tearing apart the Multiverse—and even killed his family. If true, Doom’s vendetta is aimed squarely at Captain America.
That twist reframes Doom not as a mustache-twirling tyrant but as a man who sees himself on a mission to “save” the Multiverse, no matter the cost. It’s a risky creative choice. On one hand, it echoes the moral grayness that made Thanos compelling. On the other, it risks sidelining Doom’s classic rivalry with Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four in favor of a vendetta against Cap.
Whether fans will embrace this change remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Marvel wants audiences to feel the same uneasy pull they did when they found themselves half-rooting for Thanos.
RDJ’s Return: A Double-Edged Sword
Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU is headline-grabbing on its own. His performance as Iron Man was the heart of the Infinity Saga, and many fans still tear up thinking about his “I am Iron Man” farewell. Bringing him back—this time as a villain—injects a massive dose of curiosity and controversy.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have praised Downey for being fully immersed in the role, even contributing backstory and costume ideas. But that level of creative influence also makes some fans nervous. After all, Doom is one of the most beloved villains in Marvel history. Any major changes to his backstory or appearance are bound to stir debate.
Why This Move Feels Familiar
In many ways, Disney is openly embracing nostalgia here. By structuring Doomsday like Infinity War, they’re leaning on what they know worked: making the villain the lead, loading the cast with familiar faces, and setting up an even bigger finale (Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027).
It’s a way of reassuring fans that, yes, the MCU can still deliver the epic, must-see event movies that made Infinity War and Endgame cultural milestones. At the same time, it’s a recognition that recent Marvel films have struggled with identity and direction. By going “back to basics,” they’re hoping to recapture lightning in a bottle.
What It Means for the MCU’s Future
If Marvel pulls this off, it could reset the trajectory of the entire franchise. A compelling Doom could carry the MCU into a new era beyond the Multiverse Saga. But if they stumble—if Doom’s arc feels forced or his rivalry misplaced—it could deepen fan skepticism at a time when the MCU needs goodwill more than ever.
The stakes here aren’t just cinematic; they’re cultural. Marvel has dominated for over a decade, but audiences are less forgiving now. Nostalgia can only take you so far. Doom has to work not just as a nod to Infinity War, but as a fully fleshed-out character who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Thanos.