Revisiting Avengers: Endgame will directly set up Iron Man’s retcon into being Doctor Doom, per a very interesting Avengers: Doomsday theory. In less than six months, Marvel Studios is going back to the movies with its first-ever crossover event in seven years. To say that a lot is hinging on Joe and Anthony Russo’s comeback MCU film would be an understatement, considering how the Multiverse Saga has played out.
Luckily for Kevin Feige and his franchise, they were able to bring back some of its most notable talents from the past, such as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., both of whom have never returned in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame. Per the established format of the Infinity Saga, its successor’s culmination was supposed to be built throughout the years leading up to the big crossover event. Unfortunately, because the Multiverse Saga has been more tumultuous than its predecessor, the Russos have to be more creative in the lead-up to the release of Avengers: Doomsday.
While they can’t make massive changes to the MCU’s already confirmed slate, they can lay the foundation for the film via the upcoming re-release of Avengers: Endgame. While this isn’t the first time that the 2019 movie will go back to theaters, the reason for its big screen return is to establish a connection between the Infinity Saga-capper and its sequel. Details on this remain scant at the moment, but the easiest way to do that is through its confirmed new end tag scene.
For context, Avengers: Endgame skipped the traditional post-credits scene in exchange for simply the sound of Tony Stark creating Mark I during his captivity in Iron Man. It was a poetic way to end the successful run of the Infinity Saga, especially in light of Downey Jr.’s character making the sacrificial play that ultimately defeated Thanos. While there were no visuals tied to the scene, it was easily recognizable, considering how iconic the moment was. However, Avengers: Endgame‘s 2026 release could fully change the context of that moment if the Russos reveal what is really happening in that particular scene.
According to one of the most interesting theories about this moment, the new end tag scene can retcon Iron Man’s hammering sound into Doctor Doom creating his mask. This would effectively establish a clear connection between the events of Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Doomsday. Per Marvel Comics, the Latverian villain designed and forged his own mask following a lab accident that left him with a permanently scarred face. It’s a fairly easy fix to the lack of throughline leading to Avengers: Doomsday, although, obviously, a more thorough plan would have been ideal. But considering where the MCU is at right now, it’s arguably their best bet.
The potential retconned Avengers: Endgame end tag doesn’t even have to show Downey Jr.’s face as Doctor Doom — only his new character’s mask and perhaps some portion of his body to drum up hype. Aside from that, it also saves Avengers: Doomsday some time with regard to setting up his story, which is already challenging, given everything else that the film needs to accomplish.
Although this gives Marvel Studios an easy to way retroactively create narrative ties for Avengers: Doomsday, changing Avengers: Endgame‘s end tag has understandably been divisive. While it had its issues, the Infinity Saga-capper was universally beloved as it was. Even with the pushback against Iron Man’s death, including from Downey Jr. himself, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn’t understand every creative decision that Marvel Studios made for the movie. The choice to break tradition and end it without a post-credit scene was bold, but more importantly, it signalled a true end of an era for the MCU. The clanking of Iron Man’s suit fit well with Stark’s final recorded message about how the universe had grown exponentially since he became a superhero.
Changing the meaning of the tag scene to work with Avengers: Doomsday chips away from Avengers: Endgame‘s ending. Obviously, the public can simply choose which version of the movie is their preference, but the fact that there’s even a choice to begin with is an issue to some. Ultimately, the best Marvel Studios can do is to make sure that whatever addition or changes they do to Avengers: Endgame‘s 2019 version are worth it. If they think that this would be vital to increase the chances of Avengers: Doomsday‘s success, then it is understandable. The worst that can happen is for them to take these risks all for them to not have any payoff, or worse, backfire.
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