Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three collide as Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom and an Arrakis sandworm face off in a work of fan art.
Both highly-anticipated films are being released in theaters on December 18 in what has already been dubbed "Dunesday." After playing the superhero Tony Stark/Iron Man in numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe movies from 2008-2019, Downey is now portraying an iconic villain. Despite releasing on the same day, both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are expected to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and be massive box office hits.
Now, in fan art designed by Bosslogic, Doctor Doom is seen trekking through the deserts of Arrakis, his cape billowing in the wind as he looks up at a sandworm that has the Avengers logo etched into its mouth. The caption "Puny worm" is a reference to the MCU's first Avengers movie, where the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) refers to Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as a "puny god" while handily defeating him. Check out the art below:
As indicated in the comments, the art was seen by Downey, who reposted it in his Instagram story. He has already embraced Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three's release clash, calling it "Dunesday" during a Marty Supreme event with Timothée Chalamet, who is reprising his role as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Dune: Messiah.
Beyond being a reference to the 2012 Avengers movie, the "puny worm" caption helps set up Doctor Doom as an unparalleled villain. Despite the size and formidable nature of the sandworms, Doctor Doom is not intimidated, and he is likely to have the same reaction to the Avengers that he faces, regardless of the formidable lineup of heroes confirmed to be in the film. There has been speculation that Avengers: Doomsday will start with him brutally killing off several beloved characters.
The fan art also avoids showing Doctor Doom's face, which has been consistent with the buildup to the movie so far. The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene introduces the villain to the MCU without showing his face, and he has not been featured in the four teaser trailers that have been released.
In addition to Downey as Doctor Doom, Avengers: Doomsday's cast includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova. Dune: Part Three's cast also sees Pugh reprising the role of Princess Irulan, along with Zendaya as Chani, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica.
