Did Robert Downey Jr. and Pedro Pascal Just Accidentally Leak the Plot of 'Avengers: Doomsday'?

On 31 October 2026, Robert Downey Jr. and Pedro Pascal appeared in each other's Marvel costumes in a Halloween video posted to Instagram. The clip put Avengers: Doomsday back in focus. Downey wore Reed Richards' blue Fantastic Four suit, while Pascal appeared in Doctor Doom's green cloak and silver mask. The playful reversal was not a plot reveal, but it revived interest in one of Doom's best-known comic-book traits, taking power from rivals.

The Avengers: Doomsday Halloween Switch-Up

Downey posted the video on his official Instagram account with the caption, 'Victor. Richard. Costume swap!' The clip showed the actors revealing that they had dressed as each other's forthcoming film characters. The original post can be viewed on Downey's Instagram account.

For context, Downey is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Victor von Doom after playing Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. Pascal is set to reprise his role as Reed Richards, or Mister Fantastic, following The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Their characters are among Marvel's best-known rivals, which gives the costume joke an obvious comic-book reference. It is still a joke, however, not exactly proof of hidden story detail.

The comments under the post quickly turned to multiverse jokes. One user asked whether Loki had interfered with the timeline, while another wondered whether the swap meant the multiverse was becoming real. That reaction is understandable. The film already brings heroes from different universes into one conflict. Marvel has not linked the Halloween video to its plot.

Doctor Doom's Power-Theft History

The comic-book connection is more substantial than the costume itself. In Fantastic Four #57–61, Doctor Doom steals Silver Surfer's powers. Marvel's guide to the Silver Surfer identifies it as a defining encounter in the character's history.

Doom also acquires the Beyonder's cosmic power in the original 1984 Secret Wars. Marvel's retrospective of the storyline says Doom siphons the entity's energy and becomes ruler of Battleworld. The episodes establish that stealing power is not an incidental trick for Doom. It is part of his recurring pursuit of supremacy.

That history makes the Halloween swap an easy prompt for speculation. Downey wearing Richards' uniform could be read as a visual nod to Doom's longstanding rivalry with the Fantastic Four leader. A storyline in which Doom drains the Fantastic Four or takes Reed's abilities would draw on familiar comic-book ideas. None of those possibilities has been confirmed for the film.

The Multiverse Cast Around Avengers: Doomsday

The distinction matters. A costume reveal is public promotion, not a leak, and neither the caption nor the clip identifies it as a narrative clue. Marvel has not announced a power-stealing storyline. Reading the video as foreshadowing may be fun, but treating it as evidence would be a stretch.

Disney has described Avengers: Doomsday as bringing heroes from three distinct universes into a collision course. The studio has also said the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Thunderbolts, Wakandans, and Talokan will interact on screen.

The confirmed ensemble includes Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, and Pascal, alongside X-Men performers Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn. Anthony Russo says, according to GamesRadar+, 'The cast is so large, and we've announced some of the cast, and we haven't announced some of the cast.'

That scale gives Marvel room to bring together characters with very different histories, though it does not tell audiences who Doom will target or whether he will take anyone's powers.