David Harbour, who plays Red Guardian in Avengers: Doomsday, has made a cryptic comment that has raised questions about Robert Downey Jr's role in the film. In an interview with Variety, Harbour was invited to offer a line from the movie "completely out of context." After adopting his character's Russian accent, he said: "You … are Tony Stark."
The comment is notable because the film's marketing has centered on the idea that Iron Man remains dead and that Downey Jr is playing Victor von Doom instead. The new trailer for Doomsday, premiered at Disney's D23 event in Anaheim, leans heavily into the villain's identity as Doom, with footage referencing "Victor" and hinting at the character's tragic history.
Fan theories and speculation
Some fans have pointed out that a close-up of the masked villain in the new footage appears to show blue eyes, rather than Downey Jr's brown ones. Others noticed that the costume displayed at D23 was subtly different from the version shown at San Diego Comic-Con in July. From this, a theory has emerged that there may be two incarnations of the character: Downey Jr's version, perhaps initially presented as an ally, and a nastier variant who eventually replaces or kills him.
Because Cillian Murphy has blue eyes and has long been fancast as Victor von Doom, some online have speculated that he could be the second man behind the mask. If correct, this would mark a casting decision driven by collective wishful thinking, similar to when Marvel cast John Krasinski as a variant Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Possible interpretations
Harbour's line could be genuine, or it could be trolling. Red Guardian is not the MCU's leading authority on interdimensional metaphysics, so "You are Tony Stark" could be a reasonable thing for the character to say even if the answer is simply: "No, actually, I'm Victor von Doom." This would allow Marvel to acknowledge the resemblance without turning its new villain into Iron Man gone bad.
Either way, the possibility remains that Downey Jr's return has nothing to do with Tony Stark. Yet, bringing back the actor who spent 11 years as the face of the MCU and putting another metal mask over his face invites audiences to regard the resemblance as significant. Harbour may have leaked the biggest secret in Doomsday, or he may simply have made up the most obvious line imaginable for a laugh.
