Did a Scene from ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Foreshadow Tony Stark’s Future as a Villain?: “You Could Have Saved Us”

The news of Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains one of the biggest entertainment stories of the year, and for good reason. This revelation has sparked widespread excitement about the future of the MCU, highlighting Marvel’s impressive performance at San Diego Comic-Con.

While much attention is focused on how Victor von Doom will influence the MCU, there’s also a past moment worth revisiting: Downey’s potential dual roles in the MCU. Specifically, a scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron where Stark experiences a hallucination of his worst fears, induced by Wanda. In this vision, he sees his friends dead while he survives. Could this be a hint of a villainous turn for Tony Stark in the upcoming films?

Before diving into our theory, let’s take a look at the scene in question to better understand our discussion:

This scene was intended to reveal Tony Stark’s deepest fear, which was the death of his friends. The impact was intensified when Cap told him, “You could have saved us…” Although it’s out of character for Cap to say this, the words resonated, even though we never learned how Stark might have saved them.

With Doom’s role in the MCU still shrouded in mystery—such as how Marvel will address the fact that the main heroes recognize Stark’s face, if at all—there’s room for intriguing theories.

One theory we’ve developed for discussion suggests that this scene foreshadowed Downey’s potential villainous turn in the series and might hint at future events. Although it may seem like a stretch, Marvel could have planted such a reference long ago. Ultron’s comments from that time might fit into a larger, coherent storyline that could explain both Doom’s inclusion and Downey’s casting.

The only drawback to this theory is that Downey’s return and Doom’s role may appear as reactive decisions to recent challenges and casting changes, rather than part of a long-term plan. However, it’s possible Marvel could retroactively link these elements.

What are your thoughts on this theory? Share your opinions in the comments below!

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