Et tu, Iron Man? Rather than making his grand return to the MCU as another version of Iron Man, Robert Downey, Jr.’s next appearance in the franchise could be as a very different armored character: an alternate version of the franchise’s most famous supervillain, Doctor Doom. That’s the latest rumor from industry insider Jeff Sneider, but it remains to be seen if this will actually come to pass. To reiterate, /Film has heard very similar rumblings and this would certainly make sense in light of previous reporting that the movie star had once auditioned for the role of Doctor Doom in the 2005 “Fantastic Four” movie. And given that the studio is currently in early talks to bring back both Anthony and Joe Russo to direct the currently-untitled “Avengers 5” (formerly known as “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” that makes a Downey, Jr. appearance feel all the more likely — particularly since he himself has said he’d be open to it if Kevin Feige came calling.

As exciting as this sounds, however, it’s worth pointing out that even Sneider pours a little cold water on this report, noting that his sources “denied” his questions into whether Downey, Jr. has been cast in “The Fantastic Four.” As is always the case in this business, this specific rumor could’ve been true at one point but not any longer (Marvel is notorious for adapting on the fly and changing plans in short order), or it may happen exactly as rumored. For now, at least this gives us plenty to chew on in the meantime before the next installment of the MCU arrives with “Deadpool & Wolverine,” in theaters July 26, 2024.