“I don’t get it, are you a baddie now?” That was Gwyneth Paltrow’s reaction to the shocking news that Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the MCU not to play Iron Man but as the ultimate Marvel villain, Doctor Doom. And honestly? Same, Gwyneth Paltrow. Same.
The big reveal via the Russo Brothers at the end of Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. The directing duo responsible for four of Marvel’s biggest hits (including the last two Avengers movies, Infinity War and Endgame) are also coming back to Marvel to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The fan reaction to Downey playing Doom continues to be loud and divisive. Here’s why some fans are hype, others are disappointed, and what Kevin Feige and company could be up to with this unexpected casting.
Robert Downey, Jr.’s Return Could Smooth a Rough Patch in the MCU
It’s easy to get excited about RDJ making his grand return to the MCU after a five-year absence. His fast-talking turn as Tony Stark/Iron Man revolutionized the modern superhero genre. He’s a fan-favorite, from his early days as a solo hero to his sacrifice to save the universe from Thanos. RDJ delivering an incredible performance as Victor von Doom is something pretty much everyone agrees on. What’s rubbing some folks the wrong way is why he was brought back in the first place.
It’s no secret that the MCU has been going through a rough patch since the Multiverse Saga got underway. The huge influx of new characters, several underwhelming projects, and a lack of an overarching MCU narrative has left some fans feeling disappointed. Even Deadpool didn’t pull any punches when he joked about the Marvel slump in Deadpool & Wolverine. It’s no wonder that Marvel decided to bring back RDJ and the Russos. They are fan-favorites who know how to make a darn good superhero movie.
Does Marvel Studios’ Decision to Replace Kang With Downey’s Doctor Doom Suggest a Lack of Creativity?
The original plan for the fifth Avengers movie was for Earth’s mightiest heroes battle it out against Kang the Conqueror in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Kang actor Jonathan Majors was fired from the role and left Marvel in a bad spot. Upset fans think it makes Marvel look desperate and creatively bankrupt to simply bring back Downey (and the Russos) in an effort to recapture their pre-Endgame glory. We all figured that RDJ would return to the MCU one day. Downey himself said he would be happy to return; however, this feels far too soon for some fans.
Wait, How Can Robert Downey, Jr. Play Doctor Doom After Portraying Iron Man?
Beyond the casting choice itself, fans are confused as to how Downey can play Doctor Doom in the first place. The same actor has played multiple roles in the MCU before. Gemma Chan played Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel and Sersi in Eternals. Michelle Yeoh also cameoed as Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 before playing supporting character Ying Nan in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Most movie-goers probably didn’t notice the repeat use of actors but everyone will recognize Downey.
It feels inappropriate to repurpose the most iconic face in the MCU without a good reason. Some fans are having a hard time accepting the fact that Downey is Doom. In fact, they’re theorizing Downey is just playing Doom for the next two Avengers films. They believe the “real” Doctor Doom will appear with a new actor who depicts the character in a more comics-accurate fashion. The way Marvel explains how Doom could have Tony Stark’s face may be what makes or breaks this decision.
How the MCU Can Use Comics and Heart to Make This Doctor Doom Venture Satisfying for Fans
There’s a lot of dramatic juice to be squeezed from Marvel’s greatest hero dying and having the same man play Marvel’s greatest villain. One can imagine the emotional turmoil the Avengers would go through—especially Peter Parker—if Doom reveals his face and it’s their dearly departed loved one under the mask. Interestingly, the logo for Avengers: Doomsday is green and silver to evoke Doom and the logo for Avengers: Secret Wars is red and gold. We all know those are Iron Man’s signature colors. Optimistically, this implies that Marvel made this choice with a purposeful Doctor Doom/Iron Man theme in mind. Perhaps the story across the next two Avengers films will justify the unexpected casting choice.
There’s plenty of precedent in the comics for a juicy Doom/Stark story. There are numerous instances where Iron Man and Doctor Doom have crossed paths and several specifically feature one becoming the other. After Stark seemingly died in 2016, Doom took up his mantle and headlined a series called Infamous Iron Man. A What If? story from 2010 called Iron Man: Demon in an Armor saw Doom pull a Freaky Friday and swap bodies with Stark. And, in a 2004 issue of Marvel Team-Up, the Tony Stark of Earth-5012 became a version of Doom called the Iron Maniac. He was banished to another universe that just happened to be Earth-616. Perhaps those comics inspired what Marvel has in mind for the upcoming Avengers sequels.
Is Downey’s Doctor Doom a Tony Stark Variant in the MCU?
The Russos didn’t explicitly say if Downey’s Doom will be a Stark variant or not, which only adds to the confusion around this casting choice. They did say he’s playing Victor von Doom. But they also said it was the “unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multiverse” that allowed them to make this casting decision. This suggests that he’s a variant. If he’s not a variant and Marvel is expecting everyone to pretend a Doom with Stark’s face is completely normal, then that pill may be too hard to swallow. It would only reinforce the idea that this was all stunt casting rather than an inspired creative choice.
While some fans need a satisfactory explanation before they get on board with Downey as Doom, others could care less because they just want to see a fun superhero flick. Hugh Jackman proved that even if an actor delivers a seemingly final performance for a beloved Marvel character, then fans will still excitedly show up to watch him return in a new movie as a variant. Deadpool & Wolverine broke numerous box office records and has no doubt reassured Marvel that they made the right choice with Downey’s comeback, at least as a business decision.
Will Marvel Address Doctor Doom’s Romani Heritage in the MCU?
While RDJ’s acting chops are unimpeachable, some fans have shared their reservations about whether he’s a good fit for the character of Doctor Doom. For one, Doom is Romani in the comics and his culture and the prejudice he faces in his youth plays a vital role in his origin. Therefore, casting Downey white-washes the character. Iron Man’s charming snark is worlds away from Doom’s icy and intense demeanor, which is similar to Darth Vader.
Traditionally, Doom’s face is horribly scarred and his vanity is so extreme that he never takes off his mask except on rare occasions. This could work in Downey’s favor because always being masked would help people forget he used to play Tony Stark. That would allow him to and deliver a wholly new kind of performance a la Hugo Weaving’s V from V for Vendetta. However it’s hard to believe Marvel would spend all that moolah on Downey just to cover him up 99% of the time.
Will Robert Downey, Jr. Play Doom for the Long Run? Probably Not.
Doctor Doom is a rich and complex character with a long history in Marvel’s comics. He is not only a genius-level scientist but a gifted sorcerer. There’s a fascinating story to how he became both. Despite being known as a villain, he’s not pure evil and lives by a code of honor. His ethos sometimes sees him team up with the good guys rather than fight them. He’s a character that comic fans want to see the MCU build up with a nuanced story over a long period of time like Loki. Fans want this Doctor Doom to be done better than the two previous attempts. That means they want to see him rule his home country of Latveria, wield techno-sorcery, and form tenuous alliances with heroes. Fans also want him to develop a passionate rivalry with Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.
Doing Doctor Doom’s arc justice in the MCU would take a long time. However, it seems unlikely that Marvel will keep Downey as Doom for years considering he’s one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. For the fans who have waited years for MCU Doctor Doom, there’s a feeling of being short-changed. It feels like a beleaguered Marvel made an overly cautious bet to protect box office earnings and reinvigorate the brand. At the end of the day, Downey and the Russos may indeed deliver a pair of excellent Avengers movies, but fans will be the ones to determine whether they are worthy of Doom.