A fan theory brilliantly explained how Robert Downey Jr. could return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the villainous Doctor Doom!

There is… a multiversal theory that will literally blow people’s minds. This theory connects how Robert Downey Jr. could return as Doctor Doom in the MCU and the evidence is quite solid on this one.

There’s an old saying that “The MCU doesn’t like to leave loose ends” and what happened in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a very big loose end. But from a problem comes another opportunity.

The Illuminati Were Massacred By Wanda In Doctor Strange 2

Remember when you were sitting in the theater and you saw John Krasinski portraying the role of Reed Richards? Yeah, we are talking about that moment. When Doctor Strange is traveling through different universes, he arrives on Earth 838.

That is when we are introduced to The Illuminati. Taking to Instagram, a fan talked about the wild theory on how Robert Downey Jr. could return as Doctor Doom in the MCU.

When Strange arrives on Earth 838, John Krasinski’s Reed Richards states that he shouldn’t be here because reality would get disturbed which could lead to an incursion (the collapse of two universes).

However, Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch arrives and tears Reed Richards into shreds (literally). What follows is the Illuminati massacre where all members of the team are left dead and broken. Although Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff shift to another universe, what about Earth 838 which lost one of its best teams?

Here’s where Robert Downey Jr. can return.

Iron Man Will Become Doctor Doom, Just Not Our Iron Man

The main universe through which we are seeing everything is referred to as Earth – 616. According to the theory, when Doctor Strange visits Earth-838, there is noticeably a chair empty on the table.

We also see an army of Ultrons escorting Strange to the Illuminati indicating that Iron Man was/is indeed present in the universe (since Ultron couldn’t have been made without Iron Man).

The theory alleges that when Iron Man returns to see his whole team massacred, he has no choice but to seek revenge. As mentioned earlier, Doctor Strange may have caused an incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-838, and this… would be the perfect time for Iron Man to make his entry as the villainous Doctor Doom.

This mind-blowing theory has some hard evidence backing and fans seemed to agree with it. Since the MCU doesn’t like to leave loose ends, the return of Robert Downey Jr. could fit well within this narrative.

This isn’t the first theory that tried to explain RDJ’s return. However, nothing can be confirmed or denied at this point since this is the MCU we are talking about, where anything is possible.

Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Avengers: Doomsday is set for a release date of 1 May 2026 in theaters across the world.