Avengers: Secret Wars: a reluctant Tony Stark variant reported

Several new insider reports suggest Marvel plans to lean hard into the multiverse for Avengers: Secret Wars. The reports point to a Tony Stark variant played by Robert Downey Jr., a grim script description of Steve Rogers, and a rumor that Pedro Pascal might play yet another character. From what insiders are saying, the film could also include plenty of cameos, each with a specific purpose.

I think the Tony Stark news is the kind of thing many people expected. If these reports hold up, Marvel would be making good use of the multiverse, and I'll explain below who I think gets this version of Tony back in the fight.

A lazy, alcoholic Tony Stark variant is reportedly in Avengers: Secret Wars

Robert Downey Jr. is returning to play Victor Von Doom. However you feel about that, the big question since it was announced has been whether he would also play Tony Stark, setting up Robert Downey Jr. against Robert Downey Jr. In Avengers: Doomsday, the answer is seemingly no. In Secret Wars, the answer is reportedly yes.

According to one insider, a Tony Stark variant will be involved in the story of Avengers: Secret Wars. He is being described as uninterested, lazy, someone who hates being a hero, and an alcoholic. What's interesting to me is that the MCU has shied away from Tony Stark being an alcoholic, even though in the comics that's sometimes a decent part of his story. So it might be that we get a different version of Tony Stark who needs to be kicked into shape.

According to the account Blue Minutes, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony will face Dr. Doom in Secret Wars, and a specific person will be the one who turns him around. The account says it reported months ago that this Tony would be in a complacent mode and doesn't like his life, that he has lost his purpose, and that he finds something from someone, most likely an inspiration, that makes him get up from the bar table and join the fight.

Why the Tony Stark Secret Wars report seems credible

We've heard this before. Earlier plot leaks had parts that have already been proven true based on what we've since seen. For example, a large plot leak talked about the Fantastic Four playing baseball, and that has now been shown. That makes the leak seem pretty credible, and it also talked about a Tony Stark variant in Avengers: Secret Wars who doesn't want to be involved.

Many insiders are reporting this now, and it seems like it's going to happen. Of course, it's not confirmed until we see it on screen.

I think Peter Parker is the one who inspires this Tony Stark

I think it's Peter Parker. I think almost anybody would think of Spider-Man when they hear that someone inspires this Tony and gets him out of that bar. My guess is Peter tells him that the Tony Stark from his world was a hero, but he wasn't always like that. He started off as the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, an arms dealer and weapons manufacturer, and then he became Iron Man.

That might be true for this variant as well, but he might have gone down a different path after that, because clearly it's not going to be the exact same Iron Man. I think Peter is going to tell him that his Tony ultimately decided to do the right thing, saved the Earth many times, and made the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe, including Peter, his wife and his daughter. When this Iron Man hears that a life he would love is possible for him, I think that's what gets him back in the fight.

I imagine Peter saying something like he loved his Tony Stark, that Tony was his mentor and father figure who looked out for him, coached him and guided him, and that he knows the same thing is in this Tony too. I believe it's going to be something along those lines.

Tony Stark versus Doctor Doom is the multiverse Marvel needed

Having Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark fight Robert Downey Jr.'s Dr. Doom is making good use of the multiverse, and that's what Marvel needs to do. I think one of the biggest complaints was that the Multiverse Saga wasn't wildly multiversal. It was a little, but they should have gone bigger and done more movies that took place in other universes. I think that would have been cool, like The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

But we are where we are. I don't want to say Marvel Studios can make up for it, even though some people probably would say that, but I would say it can take advantage of the multiverse in Secret Wars.

Steve Rogers is reportedly the envy of God and the last witness

James Mack also reported on Steve Rogers, off the back of the Tony Stark report. He states: "Steve Rogers is being described in Avengers: Secret Wars script as the envy of God, traumatized, imprisoned, griefstricken, and the last witness." That last witness part reminds me of the game Destiny 2. I think we can tell what each of these terms means.

I think the envy of God is talking about Dr. Doom. From what we know, Doom's wife and child or children were taken away from him, while Steve Rogers went back in time, got his wife and child, and had the happy life. Doom is the god here. In the Secret Wars comics, Doom creates Battleworld and rules over it. That's why he is God Emperor Doom. It's partly because of his power, but mostly because every inhabitant of that planet is only there because Doom created it and put them on it. By all definitions, he is their god. So the envy of God means Doom envies Steve Rogers, and that's a big part of Avengers: Doomsday.

Steve also reportedly caused something to happen, an incursion or whatever it may be, that caused Doom's family to die. Is that the case, or is Doom just saying that? We'll have to wait and see. In the same way, Doom blames Reed for telling him in college that his calculations for the machine were wrong, before it exploded and scarred him. Is that Reed's fault? No, but Doom blames him anyway. This could be one of those situations. Maybe.

Traumatized, imprisoned and grief stricken: what Doom does to Steve Rogers

We've heard Doom kills Steve's kid, and possibly Peggy as well. That would leave Steve traumatized. Plus, the Avengers are going to lose, and he would be on an Earth where nobody remembers anything and everyone worships Doom. Imprisoned is obvious: Doom isn't going to let him walk away. Grief stricken comes down to losing his family and everything else.

As for the last witness, what I'm hearing is that Doom won't erase Steve's memories. He'll let Steve keep the memory of everything that happened and sit in his failure. So Steve fights Doom with the Avengers, they lose, and his family probably dies in the process. Did Doom resurrect them somewhere on Battleworld? Maybe, but Steve wouldn't know that.

He was an Avenger who fought to save the multiverse and failed. He lost his wife, his son and his friends. Doom lets him remember all of it and keeps him prisoner to torture him, because that's a Doom thing to do. So Doom keeps him in a cell somewhere with his failure, which is hard. That's what Steve Rogers is in store for, at least at the beginning of Avengers: Secret Wars. Of course, there's some redemption coming.

Pedro Pascal might play another Reed Richards, possibly the Maker

Finally, the account No More Mutants states: "I've just heard a rather strong and surprising rumor, so take it with a grain of salt, but I'm being told that Pedro Pascal might be playing yet another character in Avengers: Secret Wars." The question raised is whether that could be the Maker, or perhaps another good version of Reed Richards.

Back when the film was The Kang Dynasty, we heard many reports that the Council of Reeds would show up. I don't know what direction they were going to take it, but I'm going to assume it would have been mostly good. Having the Maker appear, though, would be really good, I think, especially for those who love the 2015 Secret Wars run. The Maker is a big part of that story. There are two life rafts: one carries the true heroes from the main universe, and the other comes from the Ultimate universe, with the Maker in charge. The Maker is an evil version of Reed Richards, and he plays a good sized role in the comics. I think it would be cool for him to be in the film.

I thought it would be cool for Miles Teller to play the Maker, since not many people like his Fantastic Four movie, though no hate if you do. Or Ioan Gruffudd could come back as the original Mr. Fantastic. Most people were first introduced to the Fantastic Four on screen through him, alongside Jessica Alba as Sue Storm and Chris Evans as the Human Torch. Will Chris Evans return as the Human Torch and stand alongside himself as Captain America? I think that would be cool, and it would be making good use of the Multiverse Saga.

A Council of Reeds and cameos galore in Avengers: Secret Wars

I do think there should be a Council of Reeds. If there are multiple versions of Reed on Battleworld, it would make sense for the smartest man alive to get together with his variants and form a plan. I think it would be cool to see on screen.

Based on these reports, Marvel seems to have big plans for Avengers: Secret Wars. We've heard from insiders that there are going to be "cameos galore", but done in specific ways, much like Red Skull and the Ancient One in Avengers: Endgame. They weren't on screen for two seconds with no dialogue and then gone. They served specific purposes. There will reportedly be many in Secret Wars, but each will have a purpose, which I love.

I'm also okay with some random cameos in the background, because I think that would be cool too. I want it to be more than that, but having those on top of cameos with major purposes is fine. They should make full use of everything they possibly can for the ending of the Multiverse Saga.