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.
He's not in costume, and two tell-tale dots on his forehead may imply that his Doom helmet isn't a physical prop. Instead, fans are theorizing that it might be CGI instead.
"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.
