The new Avengers: Doomsday footage that was screened exclusively in Hall H on Saturday for attendees of San Diego Comic-Con (well, “exclusively” until it leaked everywhere on social media in no time) suggests that there is something that links Doctor Doom and Tony Stark beyond the fact that Robert Downey Jr. plays both roles.
In the Hall H footage, Sue Storm says, “Victor was always the smartest guy. He used to be kind, he used to be caring. Everything he loved was taken from him. He was broken.” Later, Victor Von Doom says, “All of you… have stolen lives. But now, you must give them back.”
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The going theory is that by going back in time to restore the Infinity Stones at the end of Avengers: Endgame, and staying in the past, Steve Rogers unwittingly triggered a multiversal mishap that leads to the cosmic mayhem that will play out in Doomsday. Specifically, that somehow the Avengers’ actions caused the death of Doom’s wife and/or daughter. Perhaps a sort of version of Thanos’ Snap that wiped out half of all life in the universe.
Such tragedy and heartbreak would certainly motivate a fella, especially one as brilliant, driven and resourceful as Victor Von Doom, and would shed more light on what might be his ultimate goal. It would also directly mirror Tony Stark’s own greatest fear that he revealed in Endgame.
You’ll recall that Tony initially rejected his teammates’ time heist pitch precisely because he feared it could conceivably erase his beloved daughter Morgan from ever existing.
Robert Downey, Jr. (and friends) at SDCC 2026’s Marvel Hall H panel. (Photo credit: Jesse Grant, 2026 Getty Images)
In a deleted scene that featured actor Katherine Langford as a teenage Morgan Stark, Tony appeared in the Soulworld where he confessed his fears to her, saying, “I’m scared I made a mistake.” Tony was afraid that the Avengers’ time heists and his own Infinity Gauntlet snap to Blip back all those who Thanos wiped out could erase his beloved daughter Morgan from existence. When Morgan assured him his sacrifice worked and all would be well for her, Tony was able to let go and pass away.
But imagine if Morgan – who was born after the Snap – had been erased from existence and the only way Tony could bring her back was to make what Doom calls in the trailer “an unthinkable decision”? That would seem to be the impetus behind Doctor Doom’s universe-ending plans.
Or maybe Doom just wants to kill all of the Avengers and Fantastic Four’s offspring to avenge his own.
Imagine if Morgan had been erased from existence and the only way Tony could bring her back was to make what Doom calls “an unthinkable decision”?“
Tony Stark certainly had his own “the ends justify the means” agendas in the MCU (that’s how Ultron came about), so Doom would appear to be Tony’s mirror image. Whether Victor Von Doom actually looks just like Tony Stark or is some sort of variant of him remains to be seen, but for now the official revelations about Avengers: Doomsday would suggest that Tony Stark wasn’t the only one who loved someone 3000.
For more MCU coverage from SDCC, read up on Ryan Gosling’s casting as Ghost Rider, David Jonsson joining Black Panther III as T’Challa’s son, Kevin Feige’s pushback on Doom not having a Thanos-level build-up, and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool crashing the Doomsday panel.