Just confirmed at Comic-Con: Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The shock drop: it won’t be reprising the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man but playing Doctor Doom in the films “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” due to release in 2026 and 2027 respectively.
Victor Von Doom, also known as Doctor Doom, was created in 1962 for an issue of “The Fantastic Four.” He is a Latverian genius scientist and the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four, mostly Reed Richards, better known as Mr. Fantastic. Pedro Pascal will portray Reed Richards in the 2025 movie “Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
In the origin story of Von Doom, an explosion from one of his own experiments leaves him scarred, resulting in him always donning a mask and armor. He became the ruler of Latveria and attempted several sources for world domination, such as time travel and magical spells.
Right out of the blue, at Comic-Con, Downey removed the mask to reveal his casting as Doctor Doom. While people thought that he might come and make the surprise announcement regarding his return as the heroic Iron Man from another universe, it was then clarified that the Doctor Doom would be from another universe, so he could be the evil variant of Tony Stark or merely resemble him.
The fans have been torn over casting news. Some felt elated to have Downey back in the saddle, but at the same time, were leery that they might ruin Doom’s character to try to squeeze him into a variant Iron Man storyline. Others said actors like Mads Mikkelsen, who has played the villain in “Doctor Strange,” would be better for the role.
This casting also represents a shift in strategy for Marvel. Indeed, Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror was groomed to be the next great big bad in “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” However, when “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quintumnia” underwhelmed with audiences and Majors got dropped following some legal trouble, Marvel changed the name of that film to “Avengers: Doomsday” and focused on Doctor Doom.
This is a rather bold move by Marvel, quite a surprise: Robert Downey Jr. has been chosen to play Doctor Doom. Fans are at a schism, but the effects of this casting choice will be revealed when “Avengers: Doomsday” premieres in May 2026.
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