Hold Up, Does Avengers: Doomsday Have Two Doctor Dooms?

As the release date of "Avengers: Doomsday" on December 18 draws ever closer, the fan theories continue to fly. MCU faithfuls got a fresh batch of footage to pore over with the new "Doomsday" trailer released during D23, and one previous theory in particularly is getting new traction — the idea that there are secretly two different versions of Doctor Doom in the film, and that the one being played by Robert Downey Jr. is a red herring. For a full breakdown on the popular fan theory, check out the video above.

Predictions for "Avengers: Doomsday" are a dime a dozen. It's part of the fun, and certainly part of Disney's plan to drum up interest, spurring speculation about secret cameos, twists, and multiversal madness. And with "Doomsday" setting up a direct sequel in 2027's "Avengers: Secret Wars", the same way "Infinity War" set up "Endgame," there's likely to be a cliffhanger. But does the "Two Dooms" idea really hold water?

Much of the discourse revolves around perceived costume differences in the released trailer footage, with some fans noting differences in things like eye color, cape detailing, and Doom's iconic mask. However, nay-sayers point to the quick cuts of the trailers and lighting differences as simple explanations for the differences. So who's right?

Though the specific aspects of this latest Doom theory may not entirely hold water, there is plenty of reason to believe that some sort of bait-and-switch could be in the works. These next two "Avengers" films are meant to close out the so-called Multiverse Saga, just as the last two closed out the Infinity Saga. The cast of "Doomsday" already shows part of how that macro-element will play into the film, with characters like the Fox X-Men joining forces with MCU heroes, but it's not absurd to think that the villain could have a couple of variants, too.

After all, "Doomsday" was once meant to be "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" — a film all about different variants of a singular villain joining forces. It's also reasonable to think that Marvel Studios might want to keep Doctor Doom around for a while, and it's unclear if Robert Downey Jr. will be sticking around long-term. He's already retired from the franchise once, and his reported paycheck for "Doomsday" is through the roof.

Of course, that paycheck also suggests that Downey will be the central star of "Doomsday," as using him simply as a Trojan Horse would make little financial sense. If a second Doom is in the movie, he will likely have a smaller role. Check out the full video above to learn more about how it could all play out when "Avengers: Doomsday" releases on December 18.