‘THIS is the trio’: The ideal three heroes to take down Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ have already been found

To quote the Distinguished Competition, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. In the unique case of Robert Downey Jr., however, he’s managed to do both. After the sacrificial death of Iron Man in Endgame, the Tony Stark legend is back for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as Victor Von Doom himself.

In a twist none could have predicted, Downey is once again at the center of a two-part Avengers event, only this time on the side of evil. Last time it took Iron Man himself to take down Thanos, so which of Earth-616’s remaining heroes is mighty enough to beat the only man to both save and potentially destroy the Marvel universe? Honestly, it’s possible even the studio hasn’t worked this out yet, as Downey is the only formal casting announcement we have for these two movies.

For the moment, it’s up to the fandom to name their own choices for who could face up to the Downey Doom — and three contenders have risen to the top of the pack. There are now literally dozens of Avengers running around the cosmos, but clearly the world is in need of a new Big Three — like Tony, Steve Rogers, and Thor were in the Infinity Saga — to lead the charge against Victor. Enter these guys.

As pitched by @mcuspideydaily in a viral tweet, the Multiverse Saga’s Big Three could be Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Sam Wilson’s Captain America (Anthony Mackie), and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). “THIS is the trio I want from the next Avengers film,” they argued. “I know they would have such a good dynamic.”

These are three smart choices to build Doomsday and Secret Wars around, for sure, each for a different reason. For starters, as soon as Downey’s Doom casting was announced, everyone went “Oh, Peter’s gonna be heartbroken.” The idea of Spidey fighting a man with the face of his beloved mentor could easily be the emotional lynchpin of the entire film. Similarly, having a character like Sam, who is still grappling with upholding the legacy of the founding Avengers, battle a variant of the original Avenger is dripping with thematic resonance. Meanwhile, Carol Danvers remains the Avengers’ biggest gun, and giving her a prominent role in Doomsday would be a massive vote of confidence in Larson after the unfair reception of The Marvels.

Having said all that, expanding the trio to a quartet and adding Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange into the mix wouldn’t be so bad either.

Counter-point: Shuri’s Black Panther, anyone?

Of those not mentioned, other heroes deserving of a hefty chunk of screentime in Avengers 5 and 6 include Shang-Chi (one of Phase Four’s most popular additions, bizarrely not seen since his introduction), Scarlet Witch (due a redemption after her Doctor Strange 2 character assassination), and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, for, if nothing else, the fanboy thrill of having Jackman battle arguably the only Marvel star who matches up to him in longevity and legendary status.

There may be some assembly required before Avengers: Doomsday is ready to take over the world, but all the pieces are coming together to make May 2026 the most exciting Marvel month since Endgame‘s release seven years prior.