Credit: Marvel StudiosPedro Pascal, who will soon return to the big screen in Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), has been confirmed as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next Tony Stark.
In 2024, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed that Avengers 5, then titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, would be rebranded to Avengers: Doomsday. The movie replaces Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror with Doctor Doom, played by tenured MCU star Robert Downey Jr. The recasting of Downey Jr. drew a mixed reception.
Also back are the Russo Brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, who previously helmed the gargantuan Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). The creative forces behind the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) have called the movie duo a new beginning for the MCU, one that will likely lead into the Mutant Saga. After all, the historic X-Men characters from the 20th Century Fox (now Studios) era are back on screens with Doomsday.
Joining the X-Men cast, which includes people like Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X) and James Marsden (Scott Summers/Cyclops), is a plethora of MCU favorites, old and new. From Chris Hemsworth’s Thor to the Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts teams, Doomsday boasts a huge ensemble, but plot details remain sparse.
Recent reports point to Doom seeking balance after Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) time-travel antics at the end of Avengers: Endgame, with the anti-hero encountering various characters, like Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), on his journey. It’s unclear as to how Doomsday will lead into Secret Wars, but everything fans know seemingly suggests the Avengers movies will culminate with the end of the Multiverse as audiences know it.
It’s easy to get lost in the who and what and where of Doomsday, but it is still an unprecedented move to bring Robert Downey Jr. back as this era’s main antagonist; audiences will now have to pivot their emotional connection to the actor who is almost synonymous with the MCU franchise itself.
But with a Tony Stark-less MCU, the opportunity for a new genius to arrive is wide open. And Marvel Studios just confirmed its next Tony Stark for the billion-dollar franchise.
When Avengers: Endgame brought Tony Stark’s story to a close, the Marvel Cinematic Universe lost more than a founding Avenger; it lost its central architect. Audiences first met Stark in 2008’s Iron Man, when Robert Downey Jr. introduced a billionaire inventor whose tech, ego, and evolution shaped the franchise for over a decade. His sacrifice in Endgame marked the end of that era, leaving Marvel with a noticeable gap at the top.
Now, new details from the official art book for The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) reveal the studio is finally ready to fill it.
Concept illustrator Joshua Viers recently discussed the design of the FantastiCar for Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards. The vehicle, developed alongside Concept Vehicle Designer Joe Hiura and under the creative leadership of production designer Kasra Farahani, was envisioned as something distinctly tied to Reed’s status.
“It was so satisfying to illustrate a design made of strong choices, because this is the car of a rich genius inventor,” Viers said, via The Direct.
That description immediately calls Stark to mind, and Viers doesn’t shy away from the parallel.
“I think of Reed Richards as very much a Tony Stark type, but coming from a different world with different sensibilities–and what is really cool about the FantastiCar is that this isn’t just another cool car for Tony Stark,” Viers continued. “This is coming from another universe, and this utopian version of the 1960s. Reed definitely has his own style and aesthetic–but this is really Kasra’s vision. Kasra has the sensibilities of a wealthy, brilliant inventor–he’s our Mister Fantastic.”
Rather than distancing Reed from Stark’s legacy, Marvel appears to be embracing the overlap while reshaping it through a retro-futuristic 1960s lens unique to First Steps.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, directed by Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing, delivered a solid if mixed run at the global box office.
Opening to an estimated $218 million worldwide with a $118 million domestic weekend, the reboot ultimately grossed roughly $521-522 million worldwide on a reported $200 million-plus budget. This made it the highest-grossing Marvel movie of 2025, above Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025), but still below the franchise’s biggest hits and placing around the middle of the MCU’s overall earnings slate.
The film’s retro-futuristic take and ensemble have been praised even as its box office momentum softened after the opening weekend.
As Doomsday nears, it will be interesting to see if more plot details are shared. Of course, Marvel Studios has already shared four short teasers, but a traditional trailer is yet to surface. Chances are, Marvel may tag the official first look onto the end of July’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), which sees Tom Holland return as the iconic New York web-slinger.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026.
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