While the hood of his forest-green cloak obscures his face, the stranger holds in his hands the familiar mask of Doctor Doom. Yup, this scene sets up exactly what you think it does: It tees up Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

First Steps line up with the end of Thunderbolts* as the franchise builds to the release of the epic Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026? CinemaBlend's own Jeff McCobb recently broached that subject in an interview with director Matt Shakman during the Los Angeles press day for the new 2025 movie,

Vanessa Kirby addressed questions about Robert Downey Jr. appearing in Marvel’s 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits scene