San Diego Comic Con 2024 cemented itself as one of the event’s most memorable installments the moment the MCU’s new Victor Von Doom unmasked himself. That’s when we all learned Robert Downey, Jr. is playing the iconic comic book character. No one expected the franchise’s first big screen hero to return as one of Marvel’s greatest villains. So who had the idea to bring RDJ back as Doctor Doom? Turns out it was the man in charge of the entire MCU, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. Yes, Feige himself has wanted Downey as Doctor Doom for some time. But he’s not responsible for another big return that is also taking place. Downey helped talked Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo into also coming back.
During an appearance with Omelete (which we first heard about at Deadline), the Russo brothers provided some insight into how one of Hollywood’s most shocking casting decisions happened. Joe Russo said, “That was Kevin [Feige].” Turns out the MCU’s head honcho never stopped thinking about a possible “what if” from 2005’s Fantastic Four. RDJ was considered for the role of Doctor Doom in that film. While fans have known about the sliding doors superhero moment, Kevin Feige decided to open it when given the chance.
The Russos also said “that conversation” about the former Iron Man as Doctor Doom “was had a while ago.” Feige was apparently thinking about “Victor Von Downey” longer than anyone knew.
Despite Downey’s stunning casting, the Russos claim they weren’t onboard with their own MCU return initially. (We say “claim” because they always said they’d only return for Secret Wars.) How did they end up agreeing to helm both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars? “Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said ‘no.’ We just didn’t have a story,” the brothers said. “We didn’t have a way in.” That lack of an “in” made them “resistant for a while.”
They say that changed when their “key” collaborator Steve McFeely came up with “a really powerful story.” It’s one they said “has to be told.” While they refused to say what that exact story is, we should expect it to center Downey’s villain the way the Russos Infinity War centered Thanos. “We love villains who think they’re the hero of their own stories,” said Joe Russo. “That’s when they become three dimensional and they become more interesting. And when you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a well shaped, three-dimensional character for the audience.”
Something tells us Kevin Feige was thinking the same thing when he wanted to cast Robert Downey, Jr. in the MCU for the second time.
Content shared from nerdist.com.