Every Iron Man Movie Moment That Reveals Why Tony Stark Becomes Doctor Doom

It’s set to be the biggest movie of 2026. Hell, Avengers: Doomsday might just become the biggest movie of all time. It’s certainly got the jump on most projects when it comes to cast size, that’s for sure.

Among the well-stocked Avengers: Doomsday cast are several shocking returns for the likes of Steve Rogers, the old X-Men crew, and even the God of Stories, Loki. However, the biggest surprise of them all was that incredible announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would be back – but he isn’t playing the Tony Stark we know and love.

No, this time, he’s taking on the mantle of Doctor Doom. It’s going to be strange seeing our beloved hero playing the villain, but when we look back through key moments in the Iron Man journey, it actually makes more sense than you’d think.

1. Tony Stark Builds the Ultimate Weapon – Iron Man (2008)

While The Incredible Hulk is technically where the MCU began, most would agree that it’s Iron Man that truly kickstarted this mega movie franchise. It’s a truly special superhero origin movie, and a lot of that success is down to how absolutely perfect for the role of Tony Stark Robert Downey Jr. was (and still is).

Amid this tale of one man surviving against all odds thanks to his own initiative and ingenuity, though, it’s worth noting this is also the first sign that Stark could be set on a much darker path. In taking matters into his own hands and building his Iron Man suit, Stark created the ultimate weapon. We know he would go on to put that weapon to good use in protecting the Earth, but in that cave in Afghanistan, Stark also put himself above the law. That’s a dangerous place to be, and his god complex only grows from there on out.

2. Tony Stark Breaks the Laws of Nature – Iron Man 2 (2010)

If we thought building a formidable flying suit of armour set a dangerous precedent for Tony Stark, how about creating a new element on the periodic table? In Iron Man 2, Stark did just that – forget about the law, our hero went above the laws of nature. Now, obviously, he needed the element to save his life, and we have to admit that the discovery of ‘Badassium’ is a massive step for mankind in its pursuit of cleaner energy. However, making that kind of mark on the world was always bound to fuel Stark’s rampant narcissism.

The film itself gets a bit of stick and is widely regarded as one of the weaker Marvel movies from those early days, but I’ve got a real soft spot for Iron Man 2. Maybe it’s Sam Rockwell’s flamboyant performance as Stark’s rival, Justin Hammer. Or maybe it’s the fact that Iron Man is confronted by a genuinely terrifying villain in Whiplash who pushes him to his limit. Either way, it’s a very fun follow-up that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and we all need that vibe sometimes.

3. Tony Stark’s Brush With Death Triggers an Existential Crisis – The Avengers (2012)

If ever there were a huge turning point in a character’s life, it’s this one. In The Avengers, Tony Stark leads the titular team in the battle of New York against Loki and his army of Chitauri. Indeed, if it weren’t for Stark, Loki would have won, Thanos would have got his hands on an Infinity Stone a lot sooner, and the MCU would have come to an abrupt end. Thankfully, though, Stark saved the world by flying a nuclear missile through an alien portal; just a standard day in the life of a superhero!

Not only would this moment have cranked Stark’s hubris up a notch, but there’s no way his brush with the infinite cosmos didn’t have a lasting effect on the psyche of this troubled hero. As we see in later films, Stark is unable to truly get over what happened in New York. And to be fair, neither have we – The Avengers is one of the most impactful superhero movies of all time. Still, Stark’s obsession with saving everything and everyone has not always been a good thing, and we’re pretty sure that mission will align closely with Doom’s objectives in Avengers: Doomsday.

4. Tony Stark’s Past Mistakes Come Back to Haunt Him – Iron Man 3 (2013)

On the surface, Iron Man 3 appears rather disconnected from Stark’s long-term downfall into Doom. Sure, he creates an army of super suits, but he dismantles them by the end of the film. Even the PTSD he suffers in the wake of New York, which hits him incredibly hard throughout this film, is dealt with pretty well by Stark, all things considered. In many ways, I would argue this is the period of Stark’s life where he meets a bit of a fork in the road and appears to have taken the right path. He becomes more humble, admits his flaws, and asks for help. That’s what we call growth!

However, overcoming those issues clearly didn’t fix things in the long run, as we find out from the next five appearances Stark makes in the MCU. As for Iron Man 3 itself, I can’t lie, it’s my least favourite of the Stark solo flicks. There are some really interesting ideas at play, and Guy Pearce makes for a great villain, but I find the plot convoluted, and some of the CGI has aged pretty poorly. Shame, really, as Iron Man was so close to getting a perfect trilogy. 

5. Tony Stark Accidentally Creates a World-Ending Threat – Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony Stark does something very rare for him: he makes a massive, world-threatening mistake. Obviously, he means well, but creating an artificial intelligence with the objective of “putting a suit of armour around the world” was never really going to end well, was it? His reckless invention, Ultron, quickly turns on Stark and the Avengers, and the debacle is a perfect example of how easily the billionaire, playboy, philanthropist can lose control when he operates beyond his jurisdiction.

I remember being a bit disappointed by Avengers: Age of Ultron when it first came out, but I’ve since grown to love it after each subsequent rewatch. Ultron is a fantastic robotic villain, bolstered by James Spader’s menacing vocal performance, while the dynamic between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes really moves into fascinating places; I particularly enjoy Hawkeye letting his paternal side show, and the introduction of Wanda Maximoff is very exciting.

6. Tony Stark Refuses to Make Peace With Steve Rogers – Captain America: Civil War (2016)

One of the biggest dilemmas facing film fans in 2016 was deciding whether they were Team Cap or Team Iron Man. Ultimately, we all lost because seeing our beloved heroes beating the crap out of each other was not fun at all. Still, aside from the uninspired airport setting for the climactic fight scene, we can’t deny it was a real treat to see pretty much all the Avengers going toe-to-toe; Captain America: Civil War is a great movie, as painful as it was at the time. 

However, the core storyline in this Captain America threequel is one that divided the heroes in almost irreparable ways, as the concept of placing limitations and rules on the Avengers was put forward by Stark. As we know, Steve Rogers didn’t agree with that, and that conflict really highlighted Tony’s obsession with control and wanting to save the world. It was his way or the highway, and he was prepared to take down anyone who stood against him. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

7. Tony Stark Seeks a Mind to Mould – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

We’ll not spend too long on this one, which was probably what Robert Downey Jr. said when he was asked to cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but there are some interesting parallels between Tony Stark and Doctor Doom here. When he swoops in to mentor Peter Parker, Stark is clearly looking to shape the brilliant young minds of the world.

As we’ve seen in the Fantastic Four: The First Steps post-credits scene and through hints in the new Avengers: Doomsday trailers, Doom is taking an interest in powerful young characters, too. Coincidence? We think not!

8. Tony Stark Suffers His Biggest Loss Yet – Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

In the first of the monumental Avengers double-bill, Tony suffers a devastating blow as Thanos turns up and does what very few villains have been able to do: he wins. Despite Stark’s best efforts, he is powerless to beat the Mad Titan in Avengers: Infinity War. Trying to save the universe and failing destroys Stark’s self-esteem and mental state, dredging up that PTSD from the Battle of New York all over again.

Let’s also not forget that Thanos literally throws a moon at Iron Man’s head. A very cool moment, of course, but also a very painful one for our hero. It’s just one of many incredible moments in this film, culminating in that shocking snap that kills half of all life in the universe. It’s quite refreshing to see the heroes lose now and again, isn’t it?

9. Tony Stark Gets Godlike Power – Avengers: Endgame (2019)

What was refreshing for the audience was gruelling for Tony Stark, and we can see the toll that defeat takes on him when he returns to Earth at the start of Avengers: Endgame. However, he more than redeems himself by the time the movie wraps up. Not only does Tony crack the puzzle of time travel, furthering his idea that he has control over the laws of nature, but he also becomes the undisputed most powerful being in the universe when he harnesses the Infinity Stones and snaps Thanos away.

Now I know what you’re thinking, this kills Tony Stark, right? Well, yes. Probably. But, if we assume the course of events that played out during Avengers: Endgame have some impact on the version of Stark we see in Doomsday, it’s safe to say that his hubris would be out of control after having embraced the power of a god. He quite literally alters reality and helps reverse the deaths of countless beings across the universe, while sacrificing everything to do so. If that doesn’t sound like the makings of an unstable supervillain, I don’t know what does.