I’ll never forget when I heard Robert Downey Jr. was going to be in Avengers: Doomsday. It happened at the Hall H Marvel panel at 2024’s San Diego Comic-Con when the Iron Man actor surprised the audience with the reveal. It was the perfect viral moment to get fans hyped for the next Avengers movie after what happened with Kang. But I just got a reminder recently that not everyone is terminally online like I am.
My Dad Has No Idea About RDJ In Doomsday
Growing up, my dad was the one who got me into comic books and superheroes. We’ve seen most of the Marvel movies in order together over the years, too. I mean, I was twelve when Iron Man came out, so there’s been plenty of daddy/daughter bonding with the MCU. Now my dad is 67 years old, and these days he’s not spending his time scrolling social media, reading the latest on all the Marvel rumors and thinkpieces.
Recently, when I went to see him, we watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps together, which is streaming right now with a Disney+ subscription. When we got to the Doctor Doom tease at the end, something dawned on me… he has no idea RDJ is under that mask. I proceeded to show him the latest Doomsday trailer and realized he doesn’t have to know (and probably won’t) until the movie comes out.
Honestly, I Wish That Was Me Too
There was a moment during our visit when I asked him if he wanted to know who Doctor Doom is, but he declined. I think he made the right move. I actually hope he never finds out until the movie makes the reveal somehow.
I mean, how cool is it going to be for him to experience Doomsday without an awareness that Iron Man is the Avengers' latest greatest villain? Certainly, for most of the movie the team of superheroes won’t have any idea. There has to be a scene when Downey uncovers his mask somehow, and everyone looks in shock and surprise. While I’ll have been anticipating this for years, and probably be let down somehow thanks to all the piled up excitement, but my dad is going to be just as much in disbelief as the likes of Thor or Captain America.
I assume Doomsday has a lot more surprises in store for fans than the Doctor Doom unmasking (which isn’t much of a surprise for most), but now I’m thinking about how much fun it would have been if Marvel never revealed Downey was Doctor Doom. I see why they did it. Too many leaks spoil Marvel surprises all the time, and having RDJ help promote your movie is a great thing to have in your arsenal if you want people to show up for the fifth Avengers movie. But, yeah… I’m jealous of my pops!
I mean, if anything, maybe this is a good reason for me to go see it with him. And maybe you should take note and find your closest family member who doesn’t pay attention to the internet. If you do, you have until December 18 to find your offline Doomsday buddy.
