Marvel Comics Rebrands INFAMOUS IRON MAN as RISE OF DOOM and Confirms Robert Downey Jr.’s AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Role
Marvel is stirring the pot in a big way for 2026. Alongside the return of Brian Michael Bendis to the publisher, Marvel Comics is rolling out a fresh reprint of his Infamous Iron Man run with artist Alex Maleev.
Only now, the story is returning under a new title that feels tailor made for the next big cinematic chapter. The reprint arrives as The Rise of Doom, a name that instantly connects to what Marvel Studios is building toward in Avengers: Doomsday next December.
This twelve issue series originally explored Victor Von Doom’s strange turn toward heroics after the events of Secret Wars. With his face restored and his enemies scattered, Doom stepped into a new suit of armor and attempted to operate as Iron Man.
That shift didn’t last long, but the arc has remained a fan favorite, and many have suspected it could provide the DNA for Doom’s arrival in the MCU. That speculation only grew after the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to Marvel, not as Tony Stark, but as Victor Von Doom.
Marvel has updated the official description for the reprint, and the language ties directly into the upcoming film while once again confirming Downey’s role as Victor. The entire write up reads:
“Iron Man's very own Robert Downey Jr. returns as Doctor Victor Von Doom (you read that right!) in Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday, in theaters December 18, 2026. T
“he Marvel Universe's greatest villain is no stranger to armor, but now he's trying something new on for size: heroism. And where Tony Stark failed, Doom will succeed. But what is Victor's master plan?
“That's what a great number of folks want to know — including Ben Grimm, Pepper Potts and the other Iron Man: Riri Williams! In his heroic quest, Doom faces a cosmic level adversary — and his most mortal enemy, whom he thought he would never see again!
“But what is the shocking truth behind Victor's reincarnated mother? With enemies on all sides, how can Victor continue to carry on the legacy of Iron Man when the legacy of Doom haunts him at every turn”
The rebranding to The Rise of Doom feels like a deliberate move to line up the comic narrative with the theatrical one. With Marvel positioning Doom as a key figure in its next wave of films, revisiting this storyline right before his big screen takeover makes perfect sense.
Fans who missed the original run will have a chance to experience a version of Doom that is complicated, conflicted and surprisingly introspective, qualities that could play extremely well with Downey’s interpretation.
Marvel also released the original covers from Infamous Iron Man and Infamous Iron Man: The Rise of Doom.
