'Avengers' star Robert Downey Jr. returns to Marvel – but as Doctor Doom

SAN DIEGO – Robert Downey Jr. is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and wearing armor again. But he's not Iron Man anymore.

Marvel had already won Comic-Con with a raucous screening of “Deadpool & Wolverine” at the pop-culture convention. Then the studio pulled its best surprise at a panel Saturday night: Downey will play the villainous Victor Von Doom in two upcoming "Avengers" movies, "Avengers: Doomsday" (in theaters May 2026) and "Avengers: Secret Wars" (May 2027).

Fans also got to see new footage from three movies with release dates in 2025: “Captain America: Brave New World” (Feb. 14) starring Anthony Mackie; the supergroup film “Thunderbolts” (May 5), with returning MCU veterans Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh and David Harbour; and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (July 25) headlined by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby.

Here are all the highlights of the presentation:

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Robert Downey Jr. returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom in 'Avengers: Doomsday,' Joe and Anthony Russo direct

Kevin Feige says the Fantastic Four will be in the next two Avengers movies, and the guys directing those? Joe and Anthony Russo. "Oh, my God, we missed you guys. You are the best damn fans in the world," Joe Russo says. Anthony says they thought "Avengers: Endgame" would be their swan song, but now "we see a road forward."

Joe Russo calls the comic-book inspiration behind "Avengers: Secret Wars" "the biggest story Marvel Comics ever told." That's the 2027 "Avengers" title. But the Russos say they need a new character to introduce first: Doctor Doom! 2026's "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" has now become "Avengers: Doomsday." And the guy playing Doom is none other than Robert Downey Jr., who comes out in a Doom mask before ripping it off.

"New mask, same task. What'd I tell you, I like playing complicated characters," Downey says.

'Fantastic Four' cast members hit the Comic-Con stage

And here comes "The Fantastic Four," a year from now. It starts filming Tuesday in the U.K. but director Matt Shakman is here. "I'm still standing," Shakman says after flying from London. "We want to be rooted in the comics but also rooted in life," he adds, to bring a sense of real-world science to Marvel's First Family. They're doing a setting of retrofuturistic New York in the 1920s, "where the right heart and mind can do anything." He introduces a clip reel of Pedro Pascal's nerdy Reed Richards and the rest of the team going up in space, and also a glimpse of the gigantic Galactus looking into a skyscraper.

The film has been retitled "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," and the whole cast arrives. (Surprise!) "New family," Pascal says about being in a Marvel movie. "Nobody knows that Matt and I have known each other for 25 years. He almost became my roommate" in the 1990s. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Ben Grimm (aka the Thing), says he got a very nice text message from Hulk Mark Ruffalo "to demystify the process of motion-capture."

Joseph Quinn, playing Human Torch Johnny Storm, adds that "it's a team sport and we're all going to bring a sense of family to this," while Vanessa Kirby (cast as Sue Storm) says she's laughed a lot in the rehearsals and gotten a kick out of the source material: "When you read the comics, there's such a joy to it." They also bring out a Fantasticar that hovers across the stage, which is pretty dang cool.

David Harbour dresses up as Red Guardian for 'Thunderbolts' talk

"Thunderbolts" is next. David Harbour comes out from the crowd in full Red Guardian garb and speaking in a Russian accent. "Oh, my God, you guys didn't dress up? I sent that email and we all said we were going to dress up because it was Comic-Con!" says a heartbroken Harbour to his castmates. (Julia Louis-Dreyfus did dress up, since she's a villain in nice clothes.) They still won't address what the asterisk means in the title treatment, but Sebastian Stan says Florence Pugh is a standout. "They don't play well together," Pugh says of the team dynamic, which puts together a mix of antiheroes and baddies. Hannah John-Kamen says her reintroduction of the Ghost will be "interesting."

Louis-Dreyfus explains that her character Valentina is "after power, control and she generally wants to kick ass in the Marvel universe." And Wyatt Russell, as the returning John Walker (aka U.S. Agent), feels the movie is "one of my favorite experiences." Pugh shouts out the stunt team: "We all like feeling cool doing stunts but I also appreciate that they look cooler sometimes." She also adds that the movie "is so wonderful and bizarre" before introducing the first trailer, who shows how a crew of bad guys are put together to deal with "worse guys."

Harrison Ford embraces his very Hulk side and wanted a piece of the MCU action

They show an amazing "Brave New World" clip that introduces the metal alloy adamantium – a link to the X-Men – and Ford's character turns into the Red Hulk. Ford is also here and takes the stage, acting like he's Hulking out. He is having so much fun. "I will make no reference to current history," he says of being the president. "I am delighted and proud to become a member of the Marvel universe. I have watched fantastic actors having a really good time and I wanted a piece of the action. ... It is fantastic. Marvelous, even."

'Captain America: Brave New World' star Giancarlo Esposito introduces his MCU baddie: Sidewinder

Feige brings out "Brave New World" cast members including Anthony Mackie, Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson. Tom Holland once asked Mackie if he had a movie, "and now I've got a movie!" Mackie says. Feige says the new movie returns to the "grounded action movie" vibe of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." Mackie adds that Sam Wilson's "not the musclebound guy. He's more of a thoughtful character."

Nelson's back as the Leader, an old-school Hulk villain, after 16 years since "The Incredible Hulk." "They wrote a great story for him and I think people are going to be pretty excited," he teases. And "Top Gun: Maverick" flyboy Danny Ramirez is introduced as the new Falcon: "I feel at home in the skies." And Esposito is making his MCU debut. "It was fan casting that linked us together," he said. He also mentioned his character for the first time: Sidewinder, head of the Serpent Society.

Marvel panel kicks off, Deadpool style (with some extra Madonna)

The Hall H crowd is a rowdy bunch as the Marvel opening fanfare plays, Deadpool style, and a choir in red and yellow comes out to sing Madonna's "Like a Prayer" – the unofficial theme song of "Deadpool & Wolverine" – as Wolverine and Deadpool cosplayers dance down the aisles. Marvel honcho Kevin Feige comes out, and "Deadpool" actor Rob Delaney is the moderator. Peterpool!

Check out the ‘Brave New World’ trailer (with Harrison Ford!)

Harrison Ford is already a Disney legend, considering he’s Han Solo and Indiana Jones. But now he’s joined the Marvel family, playing President “Thunderbolt” Ross (a character portrayed by Willian Hurt until his death in 2022) in “Brave New World.” While you’re waiting for the panel, peep the new trailer for the political thriller, which stars Anthony Mackie as the new man with the star-spangled shield.

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman join the Marvel Cinematic Universe

“Deadpool & Wolverine” marks the MCU debuts of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s characters from the earlier Fox Marvel movies. (Reynolds’ Deadpool even jokes about Jackman’s fan favorite Wolverine: “Disney’s going to have him in the suit until he’s 90.”) It’s a major move in the MCU, but the goal with them at first wasn’t to go for the “big shiny toys,” Reynolds told USA TODAY in an interview. “I can kind of promise that no matter what we do, no matter what we surprise people with, it will always have a drop of restraint, because that's what makes it interesting.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marvel returns Robert Downey Jr. to 'Avengers' as Doctor Doom