Robert Downey Jr. shares a photo from the Avengers: Doomsday set – and it might reveal a controversial detail about the Doctor Doom costume

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Filming is currently underway on Avengers: Doomsday

Robert Downey Jr. sitting in a chair at the end of a long line of chairs
(Image credit: Marvel Entertainment)

Robert Downey Jr. has shared a new behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Avengers: Doomsday – and eagle-eyed fans have spotted a detail that might reveal something about his Doctor Doom costume.

"Reading Renner’s book and feeling stronger already…what a journey to wisdom … very instructive…a must read!" Downey Jr. wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself reading the Hawkeye star's book outside his Doomsday trailer, which you can see below.

"Lol he's got the dots on his head they're not even going to let the mask be a real prop will they," wrote one disappointed fan on Twitter.

"So fucking depressing," someone else replied.

"It's pretty obvious it's gonna be for the facial scarring," another fan pointed out, but the original poster points out that it "seems odd to not just use makeup."

"Need to find someone that loves me like Marvel loves pointless CGI," tweeted someone else.

Doctor Doom wears a silver metallic mask, which Downey Jr. wore on stage with a green cape at last year's San Diego Comic-Con when his casting was first announced.

The MCU has received criticism in the past for its use of CGI over physical sets, props, and costumes, so it won't come as a huge surprise if Doctor Doom's costume is at least partially computer-generated.

"He is so immersed in it. He is so dialed in," co-director Joe Russo previously said about the actor's involvement with the movie. "He’s writing backstory, costume ideas... He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters. He sees a real opportunity here with the character."

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on May 1, 2026 as part of Marvel Phase 6. While we wait, check out our guide to all the other upcoming superhero movies on the way in 2025 and beyond.

Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

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