Undoubtedly, the biggest shock of the night from Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at SDCC was the news that Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU. However, he won't be returning as Tony Stark, instead, he'll be portraying an alternate universe version of Doctor Doom.
Downey Jr.'s Doom is confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, however, online rumors have already swirled that RDJ's new character will actually show up first in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Several online scoopers are reporting that they received inside info about Downey's return but didn't feel confident enough to post the news before Marvel made the official announcement.
Collider caught up with The Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman, shortly after the SDCC panel and asked whether he knew about Robert Downey Jr.'s return, prior to the Hall H extravaganza.
"It’s incredible exciting. I’m a huge fan of Robert Downey Jr., of course, and there’s no one bigger. And I have heard about it for a while, and I had to keep that secret for a while. But it’s really exciting! I kept it under wraps," said Shakman.
In a separate interview with Deadline, Shakman spoke about the great chemistry the cast of First Steps possesses and how that will translate into bringing Marvel's First Family to life in the MCU.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently slated to hit North American theaters on July 25, 2025. Shakman directs from a script penned by Josh Friedman.
In the film, Pedro Pascal will portray Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Ben Grimm aka The Thing, Vanessa Kirby is Susan Storm/Ms. Fantastic and Joseph Quinn plays Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch.
Additionally, Julia Garner will play Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer. Also appearing in unspecified roles are John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, and Natasha Lyonne.
The film will take place in a 1960s alternate reality version of the MCU. The main cast are all confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently slated to be the first film in Phase 6 of the MCU.