What Doctor Doom’s Costume Reveals About Robert Downey Jr’s Thanos-Level Marvel Villain

Doctor Doom’s costume was finally revealed in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and its appearance tells us more about Robert Downey Jr.’s rendition of the MCU’s latest arch-villain. This is despite Doctor Doom only appearing for a matter of seconds in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Doctor Doom’s brief cameo didn’t come as much of a surprise. Doctor Doom is traditionally the titular team’s arch-rival, and with filming for Avengers: Doomsday already underway, a brief appearance from the arch-villain was to be expected, despite Galactus being securely established as the main villain of the movie.

Thankfully, Marvel didn’t disappoint. Doom’s post-credits cameo arises four years after the main events of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with Franklin Richards now being a toddler. As Sue Storm leaves Franklin for a moment to retrieve a book, she returns to find Doom, hunched over and hooded, revealing his face to Franklin as Franklin reaches out to touch it.

The wider circumstances of this appearance will surely be elaborated on in Avengers: Doomsday, which is slated for release on December 18, 2026. In the meantime, however, it is possible to answer a few questions about the MCU’s version of Doctor Doom and how Robert Downey Jr. will embody the role.

Doctor Doom Will Resemble His Classic Comic Look

Doctor Doom in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie in full costume

Despite Doctor Doom’s appearance being both brief and largely uneventful, just the one shot is enough to confirm that Doctor Doom will embody a comics-accurate look in his future MCU appearances. Although his face is obscured, two key items denote this: his green cloak and his silver mask.

In Marvel Comics, Doctor Doom’s most recognizable guise sees him sporting a green hooded cloak with large gold fasteners on his chest. Beneath this cloak, Doom sports a full suit of armor and, perhaps his most iconic feature, a metal mask with a typically scowling expression forged into the facade.

From what has been seen of RDJ’s Doctor Doom, he has so far ticked two comic-accurate boxes. The brighter shade of green of his cloak looks to be taken directly from the comic book page, and is devoid of added embellishments from behind. His mask, meanwhile, can be seen in his hand, though it is partially obscured.

It is unclear at this point whether RDJ’s Doom is wearing a full set of armor beneath the cloak, however. He holds the mask with a gloved hand, though there appears to be a metal plating on the back. While Marvel Studios is keeping the finer details close to its chest, what little has been revealed looks positive.

Doctor Doom Will Not Wear An Iron Man Mask

Comic book character Infamous Iron Man, which is a redeemed Victor von Doom wearing an all-silver Iron Man suit and his Doctor Doom hooded cloak.

The mask that Doctor Doom holds in his hand is half-obscured by the way that it is held. While the forehead and eyes are visible from Sue Storm’s perspective, the whole mask is yet to be revealed by Marvel Studios. Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that the mask will not be identical to Iron Man’s iconic look.

One of the most prolific concerns about Robert Downey Jr. portraying Doctor Doom is that the actor is so inexorably tied to Iron Man. RDJ is now synonymous with the MCU thanks to his portrayal of Tony Stark, and it is difficult to detach the actor from this iconic role.

This has led to the prevailing theory that the MCU’s Doctor Doom will be an evil variant of Iron Man from the mainline MCU’s Earth-616. If that is the case, then Marvel Studios may be about to flout Doom’s somewhat sacrosanct origins as Victor Von Doom, ruler of Latveria, in favor of spotlighting Tony Stark again.

Doctor Doom’s unique mask, at least, suggests that this won’t be the case. Although there are parallels between Doctor Doom and Iron Man’s respective missions, this won’t mean that Doctor Doom’s mask will resemble Tony Stark’s with a re-appropriated function.

Doom’s mask is shaped with a rounded forehead, larger eyeholes, and a bridged nose, none of which resemble the Iron Man mask design. While this doesn’t mean that RDJ’s Doom is categorically not an Iron Man variant, it at least puts some distance between the two characters and helps to make Doom feel more distinct.

The MCU’s Doctor Doom May Make A Habit Of Removing His Mask

Robert Downey Jr Presenting himself as Doctor Doom at the San Diego Comic Con Marvel Pannel

Another concern surrounding RDJ’s casting as Doctor Doom is that it encourages Marvel Studios to flout one of Doom’s most defining characteristics from the comics: his refusal to remove his mask. This is due to Doom’s obsession with perfection, compelling him to keep his severely scarred face covered with a visage he wishes to project at all times.

Unfortunately, maintaining this facet of his character means hiding Robert Downey Jr.’s face at all times, which risks diminishing his star power. Instead, Marvel Studios may wish to capitalize on RDJ’s face being visible as much as possible, which would intuitively mean removing his mask at regular intervals.

Doctor Doom’s first-ever appearance in the MCU shows him doing exactly this. While his hood still obscures RDJ’s face, having him appear with his mask off feels like a statement of intent, suggesting that this is par for the course with RDJ’s Doctor Doom.

On the other hand, it is unclear why Doom has removed his mask for Franklin to touch his face. While it might be that Doom is encouraging the reality-warping mutant to heal his scars, this is currently purely speculative. Instead, Doom might permanently reaffix his mask moments after this interaction takes place.

Whatever the case, Doom’s debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps still answers some questions about the upcoming arch-villain. Now, it may only be a matter of time before his full appearance is finally unveiled as part of a marketing drive for Avengers: Doomsday next winter.