Deadpool, Wolverine, and Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom—looks like Avengers: Doomsday is going to be a collab of chaos and surprises!

A lot has been happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe lately. Villains and anti-heroes are assembling to fight the greater fight, X-Men are officially a part of the universe, and of course, Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the scene. All in all, the MCU is expanding like never before and we are here for it. Speaking of X-Men, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) left the fans wondering if there was any chance of the favorites’ return and it looks like they might be coming back to the superhero universe earlier than we expected.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame (2019) | Credits: Marvel Studios

We all know that Avengers: Secret Wars is going to be nothing short of a spectacular event that will be bigger and (hopefully) better this time around and will reunite our favorite supes. However, a recent report states that Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine might get two early bird passes for the super-powered drama.

Will Deadpool and Wolverine return earlier than expected?

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | Credits: Marvel Studios

Avengers: Endgame ended with possibly one of the most brutal heartbreaks in the film industry – Tony Stark’s death. While many wanted him to return, the majority of the fans were satisfied with his heroic end and reluctantly made peace with the fact that our favorite Avenger was no more.

However, Marvel Studios simply couldn’t stay away from Robert Downey Jr. and they wasted no time in bringing him. Come on, our wounds weren’t even fully healed by the time he came back! What was more shocking than his return was the fact that he will be playing the role of Doctor Doom in the MCU, not Iron Man. How will that work out?

Downey will play the famous supervillain in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, both to be directed by the Russo Brothers. And if a report by insider Daniel Richtman is to be believed, he will be joined by Deadpool and Wolverine sooner than we had expected.

According to Richtman’s Patreon post, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are reported to reprise their roles in Doomsday as opposed to the belief that their return will be in Secret Wars. We wonder how the Russo Brothers will play this card!

Robert Downey Jr. on returning to the MCU

Robert Downey Jr. announces his Doctor Doom role | Credits: @robertdowneyjr / Instagram

At the San Diego Comic-Con last year, Marvel Studios announced the return of the one, the only, RDJ. As a crowd of masked Doctor Dooms appeared on the stage during Doomsday‘s segment, Joe Russo unveiled the man behind the mask stating, “As proof of the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multi-universe, we give you the one person who could play Victor Von Doom.”

On cue, Downey emerged from the group. He took off his mask and the crowd went wild.

During an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, the actor talked about his return. He recalled a meeting he and his wife Susan Downey had with Kevin Feige stating,

He said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me that if you were to come back …’ And Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?’ We both realized over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy, a very sophisticated creative thinker.

When Feige recommended that the actor return as Doctor Doom, Downey looked into the character and went, “Wow.” According to him, playing the supervillain was an effort to “not go backwards” and instead, “continue to beat expectations.” Well, no one had certainly expected this!

And now with Richtman’s report, we have a chance to see Jackman, Reynolds, and Downey share the screen. Consider us seated!

Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theatres on May 01, 2026.