Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one older Marvel property – Iron Man: Armored Adventures – already gave viewers an “evil Iron Man” storyline onscreen. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark kicked off the MCU on one of the best possible notes, delivering a likable and comic-accurate portrayal of the classic hero in 2008’s Iron Man and remaining one of the MCU franchise’s most popular characters throughout the Infinity Saga (the MCU’s first three phases). 2009’s Iron Man: Armored Adventures capitalized on Iron Man’s newfound mainstream popularity after his cinematic debut.

Armored Adventures reimagines the Iron Man comic lore in several ways, with the most overt being that Tony Stark, many of his supporting characters, and some of his villains are rewritten as teenagers. Similar to Spider-Man’s early comic history, the Armored Adventures version of Iron Man often finds his double life as a superhero negatively impacting his responsibilities as a student, though Stark is assisted by James Rhodes and Pepper Potts. One season 1 episode pits Tony Stark against his own armor, creating a brief “evil Iron Man” story onscreen over a decade before the MCU’s Doctor Doom announcement.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures Has Its Own Version Of Marvel’s Sentient Suit Comic Story

The Armored Adventures season 1 episode “Man and Iron Man” sees Tony Stark’s armor accidentally gain sentience following an intense battle with Whiplash. The armor injures Rhodey, nearly kills Whiplash and Mr. Fix, and almost seals Tony in itself permanently, intending to feed him intravenously. When the armor fires a lethal-force repulsor ray at Rhodey but hits Tony instead, it follows its prime directive and uses its energy to resuscitate Stark, destroying its own self-awareness in the process.

This episode is loosely based on a five-issue story arc in the Iron Man comics, in which one of Tony’s latest suits gains sentience. After murdering the Marco Scarlotti iteration of Whiplash (and attendees at his funeral) and unsuccessfully attempting to permanently bond with Tony Stark, the sentient armor resolves to kill and replace its creator. A dying Tony Stark manages to get through to the armor in his final moments, leading the suit to sacrifice itself to save him, replacing his heart implant with its own power supply.

The MCU Is About To Show Us The Multiverse’s Evil Iron Man Replacement

The MCU’s Multiverse Saga was originally intended to make Kang the Conqueror its main villain, but after Marvel Studios severed its ties with Kang’s actor, Jonathan Majors, the franchise opted to replace Kang as the new saga’s main antagonist. During their San Diego Comic-Con panel, Marvel Studios rebranded Avengers: The Kang Dynasty as Avengers: Doomsday and announced that Robert Downey Jr. would be playing the iconic Marvel villain. Reactions to this development among long-time MCU viewers have been mixed, as the announcement all but confirms that the MCU’s Doctor Doom will be a villainous multiversal variant of Tony Stark.

Robert Downey Jr. notably spoke the phrase “new mask, same task” during the announcement, and given the multiversal premise of the MCU’s current saga, many viewers are speculating that the upcoming Doctor Doom will be a Tony Stark variant. Throughout the Infinity Saga, Tony Stark has made major errors with good intentions, from creating Ultron (Hank Pym’s creation in the comics) to signing the Sokovia Accords, but he remained one of the MCU’s greatest heroes nevertheless. The forthcoming iteration of Doctor Doom, however, might be a Tony Stark variant who has the same benevolent intentions but uses truly villainous methods.

Victor von Doom temporarily became Iron Man in the Marvel Comics universe, during 2016’s Civil War II crossover event.

Dr Doom Is Better Than Making An Evil Iron Man Variant

Among those who object to Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom, some view the decision as reductive, given Doctor Doom’s rich history in the Marvel Comics universe. Doctor Doom is one of the greatest Marvel supervillains of all time, standing alongside such iconic antagonists as the Green Goblin, Magneto, and Thanos. The comic iteration of Victor von Doom is not only a technological genius like Tony Stark, but he is also a skilled sorcerer and the monarch of Latveria, with a long and deep-seated hatred of Reed Richards – the leader of the Fantastic Four.

The MCU’s Doctor Doom seemingly being an evil version of Tony Stark may lead to much of Doom’s beloved comic lore being lost and replaced by the origin of a version of Tony Stark who became a supervillain. Even if Robert Downey Jr. plays a comic-accurate Doctor Doom, viewers will inevitably compare him to Tony Stark simply due to the two characters sharing an actor. While properties like Armored Adventures used the concept of an evil Iron Man appropriately, the MCU is seemingly on track to needlessly replace one of the greatest Marvel Comics villains