Robert Downey, Jr. delivers a cryptic hint about Doctor Doom's role in Avengers: Doomsday, and it might be a huge spoiler about the future of Franklin Richards after The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Robert Downey, Jr. brandishing a Doctor Doom mask at SDCC 2024, against the backdrop of Doom's face on the cover of West Coast Avengers #35
(Image credit: Getty Images / Marvel Comics)

With 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Fantastic Four: First Steps now in theaters, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Doctor Doom acto🌞r Robert Downey, Jr. is delivering some particularly cryptic hints about his place in Avengers: Doomsday, and it could mean big things for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Franklin Richards, the son of Mi📖ster Fantastic and Invisible Woman.

Downey's Inꦓstagram post shows him listening to a🤡 song titled 'Change of Scenery' by his own son, Indio Downey, along with the comic West Coast Avengers #35.

Taken together alongside the ending o💟f The Fantastic Four: First Steps, these might actually be some seriously important clues about where the MCU is headed.

Here's the post:

A photo posted by on

We'll explain what it all might mean, but be warned, we're going to be discussing some spoilers about the ending of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Though we won't be spo🎶iling anything essential to the plot, steer c❀lear if you want to stay totally fresh.

Last warning - spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps ahead

In the first of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查💝询:Fan🎃tastic Four: First Steps post-credits scenes, Sue Storm꧟ walks into her living room to find four-year-old Franklin Richards being confronted by a man in a green cloak, holding a metal mask. We're left to presume this is indeed Robert Downey, Jr.'s Doctor Doom, and that he's got designs for Franklin and his hidden, godlike powers.

Here's the thing: Downey's Instagram post may hint at exactly what Doom has in store for Franklin Richards. Not only is the song playing in it by Downey's own son, the comic h♑e posted, West Coast Avengers #35, involves not Doctor Doom himself, but Doom's adopted son and heir as ruler of Latveria, Kristoff Vernard.

Doctor Doom looking menacing on the cover of West Coast Avengers #35

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

In the comic, Kristoff impersonates Doom himself in order to trick the♛ West Coast Avengers into doing his bidding. The song, 'Change of Scenery,' might itself be a hint about a move for one of the two current MC꧒U Avengers team to the West Coast. And the cover itself could be Downey indicating that his MCU mask will be faithful to the comic.

Still, the fact that there are multiple potential hints about ❀Doom's son could be the b💞igger spoiler hiding in the post.

With 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon to lead into the reality remaking 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Avengers: Secret Wars, it's entirely likely that Doom seeks to harness Franklin's Power Cosmic in order to save the Multiverse, the same way he uses the powers of the Molecule Man to do so in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:2015 Secret Wars comic.

And considering The Fantastic Four: First Steps ends with Doom showing a direct interest in Franklin, it's got me wondering if his plan is not just to seize Franklin's powers, but to adopt him as his own son. There's some level of comic precedent, as Doom is actually the godfather and mentor of the Richards' second child Valeria, Franklin's younger sister who is named afꦺter Victor Von Doom's own mother.

I'll say this; I've been incredibly skeptical since Downey was announced as Doom just about a year ago at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2024. I've been especially wary of there being s🐼ome Tony Stark twist to Doom's MꦛCU identity.

But the stinger of Fantastic Four, coupled with the film's other Doom Easter eggs, has me morꩵe and more hopeful that Downey ཧwill be playing a fully realized, comic book faithful version of the character. And the possibility that Doom's interest in Franklin Richards will drive a major confrontation with his arch-enemies the Fantastic Four in Avengers: Doomsday is certainly getting me hyped that I'll finally get to see some much needed cinematic justice done for my favorite villain of all time.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters, kicking off 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Marvel Phase 6. Avengers: Doomsday will follow in 2026. For more, check out our guides to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:upcoming Marvel movies and shows and how to watch the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Marvel movies in order.

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I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many wไeird pictures, and thꩵe guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)

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