Avengers: Doomsday's Biggest Doctor Doom Question Won't Be Answered Until Secret Wars

It's the elephant in the room that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to address at some point — but now we're pretty confident that we'll have to wait until "Avengers: Secret Wars" for an explanation. Click the video above to hear why the MCU is going to make fans wait for the big reveal about why Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) shares Tony Stark's face.

This casting choice was always going to cause confusion — that's just one reason why we're worried about Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom. But "Avengers: Doomsday" will keep up the mystery regarding Victor's face according to movie journalists John Campea and Jeff Sneider. Both have claimed that Marvel won't unpack this until "Avengers: Secret Wars," which won't reach theaters until December 2027. 

That's a long time to keep something this important quiet. It hints at the notion of Doom operating like an island unto himself in the narrative of "Doomsday" — could it be that none of the other characters actually see him until very late in the film? Audiences are already indulging in speculation of their own about why Doom and Stark look the same.

Understandably, Marvel fans are speculating about why Victor Von Doom and Tony Stark look alike. Some think Doom is a variant of Stark from another part of the multiverse — he might even be a superior version of Iron Man. Others have a theory as to why Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Doom: They believe that the not-so-good Doc stole Tony's good looks to pose as him and gain the trust of his friends. As an individual gifted with magical powers who also happens to be a brilliant scientist, Doom can easily create realistic-looking disguises. That might mean that he posed as the superhero for a time before Tony's death — and could go on to step into the shoes of any Marvel hero out there.

It's important to note that Doom once took on the mantle of Iron Man in a Marvel Comics series called "Infamous Iron Man." In it, he tries to become a superhero after Reed Richards gives him a clean mental slate by wiping his memories. Later, Stark ends up in a coma and Doom takes his place in the suit. But since this storyline takes place after the Secret Wars event in the comics, it's pretty unlikely that it inspired Doom's new visage. Of course, the simplest reason that Doom and Stark look alike is that it's just a coincidence, but, after all this speculation, that would definitely be a big let-down for fans. For a full rundown of the theories about Doom's face, be sure to check out Looper's video linked above.