Robert Downey Jr. revealed during a surprise announcement at San Diego Comic-Con that he will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - not as the famous Iron Man, but as the villain Victor Von Doom, known as Dr. Doom, in the Avengers series.

Downey began his success in Marvel films with Iron Man and played the beloved character in nine films, but on Saturday, he appeared wearing Dr. Doom's mask and a green cloak.

Amidst wild cheers, Downey said, "New mask, same mission."

Joe and Anthony Russo, who will direct the film featuring Downey, pointed out that his appearance in the film "is a testament to the unimaginable possibilities in the multiverse of Marvel."

The film’s reveal crowned Marvel’s jubilant return to Hall H at Comic-Con.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige opened the panel by stating that thanks to the success of the Deadpool & Wolverine film this week, the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has now surpassed $30 billion in box office earnings. In reference to a scene in the film, a choir sang Madonna's song Like a Prayer before Feige spoke.

The Deadpool & Wolverine film, which was released on Thursday and stars Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, has already broken one record and might break more in its opening weekend. Feige used Saturday's panel to chart the future path of the MCU, announcing that legendary actor Harrison Ford will appear in the upcoming Captain America film and revealed Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero series. The Doomsday film will be released in theaters in 2026.

Feige stated that all the actors introduced on Saturday will appear in upcoming Avengers films, which will be directed by the Russo brothers. The duo led the Avengers franchise through its sprawling storyline, culminating in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame, which included the death of the Tony Stark/Iron Man character played by Downey.

Anthony Russo said, "When we made Avengers: Endgame, Joe and I really believed it was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because we put all our passion, love, and imagination into The Winter Soldier, into Civil War, into Infinity War, and we culminated it in Avengers: Endgame." "This four-film saga was amazing and left us creatively engaged with all our emotions in the film. Since then, through a very special story, Joe and I have found a vision for a potential path forward together.

They called Secret Wars the "biggest story Marvel Comics has ever told," and Joe said it was the first comic he read as a child that made him "fall in love with comics."

Saturday's session came after Marvel skipped the conference last year due to Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking at panels.

The cast of Captain America: Brave New World - Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez, and Anthony Mackie - took the stage first and discussed details of the upcoming film. Esposito revealed that he will play the villain, Seth Volkner, also known as Sidewinder.

When asked about his experience joining a Marvel project, Esposito said it felt like "a dream come true."

He added, "When your dreams come true and you get the call, you walk in the door. I feel a great sense of gratitude to all the fans who really made this dream happen, because it’s the fans' choice that brought us together."

The cast then stepped aside to share a scene from the film on the big screen, which revealed that President Thaddeus (Thunderbolt) Ross, played by Ford, hopes to rebuild the Avengers with Sam Wilson, played by Mackie. The scene also showed Ford's character transforming into Red Hulk.

Ford joined the stage after fans enjoyed clips from the film and flexed his muscles in front of the roaring crowd. He also expressed his excitement for his latest role, saying, "I’m happy and proud to become a part of the Marvel universe."

The cast and director of Thunderbolts shocked fans with a short clip from the film, set to be released in May 2025. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and David Harbour (in full costume and speaking as Red Guardian at first) stormed the stage and shared some additional details about their characters.

The final film promoted at the panel was The Fantastic Four, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Feige said it will start filming on Tuesday in London.

He stated that the film will be released in theaters in about a year, in July 2025.

After a video created by director Matt Shakman specifically for Comic-Con, featuring the cast in full 1960s glory, he and Feige revealed the official title of the film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The session did not include any mention of Jonathan Majors, who played the villain Kang the Conqueror and was previously a central part of Marvel’s Avengers plans. The actor was dropped from the studio after being convicted in December of assaulting a former girlfriend. He was sentenced to a year of counseling in April and avoided jail time.

Marvel had already taken over Hall H on Thursday with a star-studded panel celebrating the Deadpool & Wolverine film. The audience enjoyed a full presentation with surprise guests joining stars Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on stage.

The growing excitement for the film at Comic-Con throughout the United States saw fans rushing to see it in theaters, ensuring the film the new record for Thursday preview earnings for an R-rated film. The comic book film sold an estimated $38.5 million in cinema tickets from Thursday preview showings.

The success of Deadpool & Wolverine awakened a sleeping year for Marvel and alleviated fears regarding its weak box office performance in late 2023. The superhero factory reached its lowest point ever in November with the release of The Marvels, which opened with just $47 million.