We know Robert Downey Jr. will officially return to the MCU next year, in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, but is there a chance he could be back in the Marvel multiverse as soon as this summer? That’s what fans are hoping for, as surely The Fantastic Four: First Steps can’t come and go without at least a post-credits scene cameo from Downey’s Doctor Doom… Right?
With so much about Marvel’s reboot of the First Family still buried beneath the top-secret security of the Baxter Building, there’s no way the studio is about to announce something this juicy just yet. And yet we know all too well that MCU actors have much looser lips than Kevin Feige and oftentimes they say things they shouldn’t – that’s how we already know a fair chunk of the cast of Doomsday, after all.
The Bear‘s Ebon Moss-Bachrach showed up on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night, and obviously the conversation turned towards The Fantastic Four. As a master of conversational manipulation, Kimmel tried to trick the actor into revealing something big, but to Cousin’s credit, he managed to slip through the ordeal unscathed. Or did he…?
The Fantastic Four‘s Thing actor addresses rumors Robert Downey Jr. will cameo
“Is it true that you and Robert Downey Jr. really hit it off and became good friends on the set?” Kimmel quizzed, matter-of-factly, causing a severely flustered Moss-Bachrach to stumble over his words. “Yeah, we live together now,” he ultimately replied, to laughs from the audience. “He asked me to move in with him.”
When Kimmel changed track and straight-up asked if the star “spent time” with Downey on the film, Moss-Bachrach admitted, “It’s not gonna happen. I’ve been through rigorous media training.” Kimmel should’ve known better than to try and trip the actor up, as this is not Ebon’s first Marvel rodeo. He’s been part of the spoiler-phobic franchise before, having played Micro in Netflix’s The Punisher series last decade.
Of course, the fact that Moss-Bachrach had to try so hard to avoid putting his foot in it may lead some to speculate that he actually has something to hide in the first place. In all honesty, it would be bizarre if Victor Von Doom didn’t make his MCU debut alongside his quartet of nemeses, so the real question is whether he’ll be granted a fair amount of screentime or the briefest of cameos. Going by how the foursome already have Ralph Ineson’s Galactus, Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer, and John Malkovich’s mystery man to contend with, the likelihood is a classic MCU post-credits appearance.
With First Steps scheduled to sail into cinemas on July 25, we really should be getting a proper trailer — following a Comic Con/D23 sneak peek that leaked online last summer — in the coming weeks. Until then, congrats to Downey and Cousin on becoming roomies. Maybe Moss-Bachrach is being so cagey because he doesn’t want to ruin the surprise buddy-cop road movie spinoff Marvel has in store — Doom and the Thing’s Excellent Adventure.