How might Tony Stark return in Avengers: Secret Wars? Decoding the multiple possibilities

0Iron Man 3 ©YouTube/Marvel EntertainmentWhile Avengers: Secret Wars hasn't started filming yet, fans continue to formulate theories about the concluding chapter of the Multiverse Saga. We already know that Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark between 2008 and 2019, is playing the Marvel Multiverse's biggest threat, Victor von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Therefore, fan theories continue to speculate that RDJ could return to the MCU as Tony Stark after almost a decade in Avengers: Secret Wars, which, as of now, is still scheduled to be released in December 2027. Considering that Marvel is closing the book on the Multiverse with Secret Wars, it could be the one last time that Marvel could bring Robert Downey Jr. back as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

This new theory ties into 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At that time, one of the most discussed mysteries was the mysterious unoccupied chair in the Earth-838 Illuminati headquarters. Many fans theorized that the unoccupied chair belonged to that universe's Tony Stark.

Several fan theories even suggested that Tom Cruise was going to be that variant, given that back in the 2000s the actor was the initial choice to play Iron Man before Robert Downey Jr. However, Marvel has not confirmed who that unoccupied chair belonged to.

Thus, the fan theory suggests that Avengers: Secret Wars will finally provide an answer to one of the long-standing Phase Four mysteries. The theory posits that introducing that version of Tony Stark could also help Marvel preserve Iron Man's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame.

Several responses agreed with the theory, stating that it was obvious, as Marvel already confirmed the existence of the multiverse and countless Tony Stark variants:

One of the most discussed aspects of the animated series What If…? back in 2021 was the ways in which season 1 episodes kept killing Stark. But we finally got some episodes featuring an alive Tony Stark in the second season. Thus, season 2 finally gave us some episodes in which Tony Stark didn't die a brutal death.

Therefore, the Russo Brothers could pull in one of these Tony Stark variants for a cameo in Avengers: Secret Wars. As for why fans believe Secret Wars is the likely candidate for Tony Stark cameo, the answer is simple: The Avengers: Doomsday follow-up is the last time Marvel will dabble in the Marvel multiverse. Avengers: Secret Wars could appeal to fans' nostalgia by bringing in Tony Stark one last time.

This December's Avengers: Doomsday is believed to take a page out of 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and end on a dour, cliffhanger note. Therefore, many leaks suggest Doomsday would end with Doom rewriting reality, setting the stage for Secret Wars. As for the Avengers: Doomsday follow-up, many believe that Secret Wars will reset the entire MCU continuity.

"Resetting" in this context means that the Avengers could basically bring an end to the multiverse by merging some continuities together. The Russo brothers said this last March:

"What's compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they're a beginning. It's a new beginning. We told an ending story, now we're going to tell a beginning story. And then who knows where we'll go from there."

Apart from the Russos, Marvel boss Kevin Feige echoed something similar in July 2025:

"Avengers: Endgame was truly an end, and since then, we've tried and experimented with many new things. But [Secret Wars] is a beginning. It will establish a streamlined, simplified, single universe that audiences can keep up with. Some things will be familiar, but many, many things will be entirely new."

Based on these comments, it is clear that Avengers: Secret Wars is taking inspiration from DC's iconic 1980s comic event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. That DC event comic ended the DC multiverse and streamlined its complicated continuity into one single universe. Based on the Russos' and Feige's comments, it looks like Marvel might be doing something similar.

Recent rumors have suggested that the filming of Avengers: Secret Wars might be delayed to January 2027, but nothing has been confirmed yet. We may learn something more in the coming months as Avengers: Doomsday releases on December 18, 2026.