Robert Downey Jr.. He is the new Victor Von Doom. The detailed comic story of the King of Latveria is set to be updated in the upcoming films of the legendary marvel Studios that will likely include: Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Judgment Day, and Avengers: Secret WarsThe casting announcement of Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers at this year's San Diego Community Conference came as a huge shock, sparking debate among Marvel's fan base. For some loyalists, Downey Jr. will always be Iron ManSo bringing him back as another main character seems inappropriate. After all, there are dozens of other talented actors waiting to put on the green suit and scream, “I'm going to kill you, Reed Richards!”
The current skepticism may be linked to perceptions of favoritism in the casting, but it also underscores the cynicism and world-weary attitude that fans of the genre currently hold. Except Deadpool and WolverineRecent superhero movies haven't been as fun as the previous ones, and re-casting a former actor in the series seems like a desperate move to recapture former glory.
but, This move is not the first of its kind for Marvel Studios.Michelle Yeoh played Alita Uljord in Guardians of the Galaxy Movies and Ying Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsDavid Dastmalchian portrayed Kurt Goreshter in the first two films. Ant-Man Installments, then appeared as Veb in Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaThere's also Gemma Chan, who played Min-Erva in captain marvel And Cersei in The Eternals.
However, things weren't supposed to happen this way. Stage 5 and Stage 6 were supposed to be Kang's show. Unfortunately, although Jonathan Majors only received a minor penalty for assault, Kevin Feige and other Marvel Studios executives are sticking to their decision to let him go.Additionally, they found it best not to recast Kang but to replace him with another iconic villain. The choice seemed ideal given that Doctor Doom has been one of Marvel's biggest troublemakers since then. He made his comedy debut in 1962. The Fantastic Four #5.
What many fans may not realize is that Robert Downey Jr. first auditioned for the role of Doctor Doom nearly 20 years ago, even before he was cast as Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr. auditioned for the role of Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four in 2005.
In a YouTube video produced by Marvel Entertainment, featuring a retrospective conversation between actor-director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, the former reminded the latter that he auditioned for Robert Downey Jr. while working as a producer on Marvel: Avengers Alliance. The Fantastic FourDowney Jr. was interested in playing Doctor Doom but Feige went with him. pinch/tuckTalented lead actor Julian McMahon instead.
At that time, things were not going well for them. Oppenheimer He was a star. Due to his addiction problem and his ongoing troubles with the law, he was reduced to working in medium-budget films, but he never lost his taste for big movies. Over the years, he slowly engineered his return to the big-budget world he had abandoned.
And it happened in the best way he could have hoped for. The Oscar winner's earlier rejection was good for him down the road. Favreau recalled that while doing screen tests for the film Iron ManThis actor paid more attention because he saw how hungry he had been for the failed audition years ago. He was a familiar face who clearly wanted the job, so Favreau chose to go with him.
What Robert Downey Jr.'s casting in Fantastic Four would mean for him and the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Iron Man It was the film that ushered in the golden age of Marvel superhero movies, with many of the best films that followed featuring Robert Downey Jr. Whether he was taking care of Peter Parker or crashing the party on Ultron, Tony Stark was everywhere. It was a role that would live on for a lifetime, and Downey Jr. probably wouldn’t have become the Hollywood heavyweight he is today had he landed the role of Doctor Doom a few years earlier.
He would probably miss out on the chance to play an Avengers member because The Fantastic Four But if the second part of the movie failed, he might have resorted to other options. And his absence might have greatly affected the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the same retrospective conversation with Kevin Feige, Favreau says:
“He was the piece that made everything work. I remember sitting down with this guy, and I said, ‘He has this spark in his eyes and he’s ready.’”
However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gained more stature thanks to its great stories and visuals. It would be wrong to conclude that the series would not have succeeded without one actor. It might have looked a little different.
Maybe the door wasn’t completely closed for Downey Jr. either. Depending on the impression he made, he could have been offered a role in the MCU. After all, Chris Evans played the Human Torch before he was later cast as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Maybe he could have been cast in another role, but that wouldn’t have been as cool as playing Iron Man.
Now that that chapter is over, and although there has been speculation that Downey Jr. might play the Doom version of Iron Man: Demon in Armor #1 Who switched bodies with Iron Man, the actor denied. He will be the real villain, in all his green glory.
Is this the right time to introduce Doctor Doom? Deadpool will say the same thing to him that he said to the heroes in The Void in Deadpool and Wolverine:
“Welcome to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You've joined us at a bit of a rough patch.”
For now, all we have to do is remain optimistic.
How Robert Downey Jr. Was Set to Return as Doctor Doom
During an interview on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, the Oscar winner shed some light on his controversial choice, explaining that he just wanted to help off-screen but was offered a bigger piece of the pie instead.
“I had an idea outside of the movie world about how we could serve what was happening in the parks and all of the location-based entertainment,” he said. “Susan and I sat down with Feig at one point, and he said, ‘It always occurs to me that if I go back…’ and Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait, go back as what?’ And then we realized over time that this was another thing that disproved any doubt that anyone might have had about this man, this very sophisticated creative thinker, about how we can’t go back, how we can’t let down expectations, how we can continue to beat expectations?’” Victor Von Doom said.
However, Downey Jr. wanted to make sure everyone (whose decision was important) was on board, and after speaking with Feige, he felt the need to also speak with Disney CEO Bob Iger.
“Then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I talk to Bob Iger?’ And he said, ‘About it?’ And I said, ‘About everything. I went to Bob’s house and I don’t know how to describe it. I’ve had a lot of really great experiences, but when I went to Iger’s apartment, we sat down and he said, ‘I like that.’ I said, ‘I like that.’ He said, ‘Come to the Imagineering Campus.’ Feig and I went to the Imagineering Campus and you want to talk about two guys who are not easy to be blown away by, let alone at the same time… I can’t say much, but what’s happening there right now is beyond my wildest expectations of what was possible.”
That's how the deal was done.
Robert Downey Jr. makes his debut as Doctor Doom in
Avengers: Judgment Day
which will be released in theaters on May 1, 2026.
