Speculation about Avengers: Doomsday knows no holiday breaks as a seemingly innocent Easter post by star Robert Downey Jr appears to have teased two big returns — according to fans, at least.
The hotly-anticipated Marvel outing, set for a December release, marks the return of Downey Jr, now taking on the role of supervillain Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom. The big bad is so dangerous a threat that all Avengers are lured out to assemble once more, with many MCU stars reprising their roles from past instalments.
While many returns have been made official, Downey Jr’s new social media post sparked speculation that two more superheroes might join the gang on this stacked adventure.
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The actor took to Instagram to post an Easter-themed image of Doctor Doom holding an egg basket, with two symbols catching the eye of hopeful Marvel fans.
The basket includes eggs with the logos of Captain America, Black Panther and the Fantastic Four — characters who are appearing in Doomsday, as the different trailers for the film have proved.
Two eggs carrying the logos of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange were barely visible behind the others, leading fans to believe that the heroes played by Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch could make a surprise appearance despite not having been included in the cast list.
While Holland is back as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, hitting cinemas in July, there has been no word as to whether his Spidey or Cumberbatch’s Strange are set to make a cameo in Doomsday.
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As for fans, it seems that Downey Jr’s Easter post was more than enough to suggest that a double return could be possible.
“A large bout of the speculation around this movie is the whereabouts of Strange and Spidey, two of the most important multiverse characters in this storyline on top of being main MCU characters,” one fan argued on Reddit, branding Downey Jr a “hero” for giving Marvel lovers what they were hoping for.
Others are well aware of how the Marvel spoiler police works, noting that almost nothing leaks without big Marvel boss Kevin Feige’s stamp of approval.
“This is a sanctioned promo piece,” a second fan wrote. “RDJ doesn’t just post things randomly without permission. He’s very good at not spoiling things unless he’s told it’s okay.”
Whether Spider-Man’s Doomsday return will be made canon through a possible Brand New Day connection or even a trailer at a later date, remains to be seen. In the meantime, better mark the Russo brothers’ word that Doomsday has begun with the multiple trailers’ drop and be ready to analyse any clues coming our way.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 18 December.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.Â
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).Â