Robert Downey Jr.'s first Doctor Doom appearance has reportedly been revealed – and it's not Avengers: Doomsday

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Fantastic news for those who want to see RDJ return to the MCU even sooner than expected

Robert Downey Jr. during the Doctor Doom announcement at Marvel's SDCC 2024 panel
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Robert Downey Jr.'s first Doctor Doom appearance has reportedly been revealed by a notable scooper – and it's not Avengers: Doomsday.

According to Jeff Sneider, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will first show up in a separate movie's post-credits scene or mid-credits scene, with Sneider then going on to speculate that it could be during 2025’s Fantastic Four. 

While it’s exciting news for those looking towards Marvel’s immediate future, we should exercise caution in this case. After all, Jeff Sneider’s track record has been good, yet inconsistent, in recent years. 

He’s certainly called some major MCU news right – including that Harrison Ford was being lined up to play ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross as well as being among the first to confirm Fantastic Four’s casting months before it was made official – but not all of his scoops in the past have been verified or proven correct. Let’s take this one with a Hulk-sized pinch of salt for now as there’s no reason for Marvel to come out to confirm or deny the news.

Plans can, of course, change. But we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Robert Downey Jr. shows up in Fantastic Four. The link between Reed and Doom is obvious, given their comic book history, but there’s the added eyebrow raise of Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman telling Collider that he’s had to keep the surprise casting under wraps "for a while."

Was Marvel just keeping the director in the loop – or is it something more? We’ll find out when Fantastic Four (starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) flies into cinemas on July 25, 2025.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.