The new Avengers: Doomsday trailer is here, and some fans believe it has a few clues that suggest the film is hiding two Doctor Dooms – and maybe even a cameo from Cillian Murphy.
Warning! Potential spoilers for Avengers: Doomsday follow.
Marvel Studios has seemingly been pretty forthcoming when it comes to the cast for this year's new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie. Of the long lineup of A-listers on the call sheet are faces from the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and more, but the casting choice that has remained controversial among fans since its announcement is Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom.
The few Avengers: Doomsday clips we've seen thus far have revealed the hero-turned-villain star's in-costume look – or have they? That's the question fans have been asking since the team-up film's new trailer arrived as part of D23 2026. With tens of millions of viewers in just a few days, it's clear the video has something to offer ahead of the full premiere in December, but some believe it's hiding a few clues about Doctor Doom duplicates, too.
"All of you have lived stolen lives," he can be heard saying in between shots of a screaming Reed Richards played by Pedro Pascal. "But now you must give them back."
Where past sneak peeks for the movie haven't dived too far down the Victor von Doom rabbit hole, the D23 trailer is really more about him than any of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It starts with Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm talking about the Latverian leader as someone who "used to be kind" and "caring" before we then see him toss Thor like an ant and raise an army of sentinels. Although he certainly seems to present an Avengers-level threat that could rival Thanos, the conversation surrounding his identity lies in the details.
A few close-ups of the magic-powered villain's eyes are all we really get when it comes to glimpses of what's behind his metal mask, but that's all fans online needed to stir up conversation. You see, this character has bluish-green eyes, while Downey Jr.'s are brown. This Doctor Doom also has a small mole next to one of his eyes, where the actor believed to be playing him does not.
Clearly there are 2 Dooms with RDJ being the fake doom https://t.co/g3okvI7hmH
"One looks blue. The other video looks brown," one fan speculated after the trailer was released. "Is there more than one Doom?"
"I think there will be two Dooms," another said. "The real Doom, and a Tony variant."
The idea, then, is that the Doom we've seen here is a different one from the Doom Downey Jr. is playing. If these are truly our first signs that Avengers: Doomsday features more than one Doctor Doom, then the next logical question is 'Who is playing the other one?' Many online believe Murphy, who is best known for starring in movies like Oppenheimer and 28 Years Later, makes the most sense. He was a popular fancast pick as Marvel put the new Avengers movie together behind the scenes early on. He also happens to have much lighter eyes.
Cillian Murphy speaking Romanian and Romani 👀 Could he be the real Doctor Doom? 🤯#AvengersDoomsday pic.twitter.com/JLVGubmJTA
If the rumors about Cillian Murphy actually playing the real Doctor Doom are true…is this a casting upgrade or downgrade?👀#AvengersDoomsday pic.twitter.com/YQm5JJ9SEm
If this is true, I bet I know who the other Dr. Doom is. https://t.co/SovOL6rxL1 pic.twitter.com/pmHwjRmpnp
Many believe Downey Jr. could be playing a good-guy version of the character, leaving the evil one to be played by Murphy or even someone else. Other theories rattling around social media feeds have revolved around a surprise return for Michael Fassbender's Magneto, an alternate Reed Richards, or, if Marvel is feeling really daring, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers.