2026 might be a crammed year for MCU stories, but the one that all fans will have their eyes on will see the return of Robert Downey Jr., only not as we know him. Taking on the role of the Fantastic Four’s longtime foe, Doctor Doom, he’ll be leading the charge against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday, and according to one of its stars, not all of them will make it to the end credits.
During an appearance at the Tokyo Comic-Con (via ComicBookMovie), the former Winter Soldier hinted at just what kind of drama will be heading our way in the new Russo Brothers-directed blockbuster. "I don't know if I can say very much about that," Stan confessed. "I don't know what's going to happen. We'll see who makes it or who doesn't. I think the most exciting thing is Robert Downey Jr., one of the greatest, coming back. He's definitely going to have something in store for everybody.”
Given that Avengers: Doomsday will be followed up by Avengers: Secret Wars, die-hard Marvel fans might already be prepared for the first, given the comic book event that the second film takes its name from. Secret Wars was not only an event from 1984, but also a 2015 event that saw the Marvel universes merge, and some characters were lost in the event. Keeping this in mind, there’s a chance that in mind, there’s a possibility that some of our favorite heroes could suffer a fate worse than being snapped out of existence, only to be brought back in Avengers: Endgame.
One person we do know will be surviving long enough to make an appearance in Secret Wars is Letitia Wright, who has revealed she is scheduled to be back in action for the 2027 film. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what level of Doom Downey’s new villain will bring when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026. While we wait, why not check out our guide to every upcoming MCU movie and show heading our way here.
