Many actors have played different characters in superhero movies. Ryan Reynolds, for example, was Wade Wilson before he was Green Lantern, and a few years later, he was back to playing a different version of Deadpool.
In the MCU, Gemma Chan suited up as Captain Marvel's Minn-Erva before playing Sersi in Eternals, and it was only around 18 months ago when Chris Evans returned as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, despite having played Captain America between 2011 and 2019.
Pretty much no one is demanding an explanation for why the Human Torch has the same face as Steve Rogers. However, in Doctor Doom's case, everyone wants to know why, with Robert Downey Jr. playing Avengers: Doomsday's villain, he looks like Tony Stark.
Rumours and theories have ranged from him being an Iron Man Variant to simply stealing Tony's face to earn the trust of Earth-616's Mightiest Heroes. Given that it's been nearly seven years since Downey bid farewell to the Armored Avenger, you'd think enough time has passed for him to play Victor Von Doom without it necessarily linking up to what we've seen before.
After all, if Doom is a transformative role for the Oscar-winner, then it can surely be as simple as him returning to the MCU to take on a very different challenge. Alas, with the Multiverse in play and Doom sure to be unmasked at some point, most are convinced there's more to it.
Now, John Campea is claiming that answers are coming...just not in Avengers: Doomsday. After strongly hinting that he's been filled in on Doom's backstory, the YouTuber said that we'll have to wait until Avengers: Secret Wars to learn why Victor has Tony's face.
In the meantime, we can only continue to speculate about the similarities and what it means for the Multiverse Saga. Perhaps in the post-Secret Wars MCU, a healed Victor will become the "Infamous Iron Man," mirroring what happened in the comics when Doom tried to become a hero by taking over Tony's mantle.
The now-confirmed cast of Avengers: Secret Wars includes Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Sadie Sink, Benedict Cumberbatch, Letitia Wright, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Paul Bettany, Simu Liu, and Hayley Atwell.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron is also working on the script.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.