Robert Downey Jr.Marvel's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe did not happen as many Marvel fans expected, and he was cast in the role of Dr. Doom It was another divisive decision by Kevin Feige. now Former Iron Man The star was discussing how the surprise reveal came about at his San Diego Comic-Con event, and detailing the conversation with Feige that led to the historic moment.
In an interview on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Downey Jr. talked about being cast as Doom for the first time, and shared more details about how it came about. He began:
“So, maybe a year ago… because you know, [Kevin] “I’ve stayed in touch with Feig. We’re friends. I’ve stayed in touch with Favreau and Feig. I’m close with the Russo brothers; we have other work that we do. So, there’s this little group of travelers and I had an instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger and I had an idea outside of the movie world about how to serve what’s happening in the parks and all the location-based entertainment.”
During the chat with Feige, Downey Jr. and his wife Susan discovered that the Marvel boss never stops thinking, and he had a perfect idea for how Downey Jr. could return to the franchise on screen in a different way than he did returning to Iron Man. He continued:
“Susan and I sat down with Figg one time, and he said, ‘I keep thinking that if you go back…’ And Susan said, ‘Wait, wait, go back as what?’ And then we realized over time that this was another thing that dispelled any doubt that anyone might have had about this man, this very sophisticated creative thinker, about how we don’t hold back, how we don’t disappoint, how we can continue to beat expectations? And Figg mentioned Victor von Doom. I looked this up and I said, ‘Wow.’”
Later, Kevin said, “Let's make Victor Von Doom right. Let's make him right.”
“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.”
Will Robert Downey Jr. appear in Dooms before Avengers: Doomsday?
While there's a long wait for Downey Jr. to get his moment to shine as Doctor Doom in 2026, Avengers: Judgment DayThere are plenty of whispers that fans won't have to wait long to see the actor make his debut as the legendary Marvel villain. If the rumors are to be believed, next year's film Fantastic Four: The First Steps will repeat The Avengers The post-credits trailer shows Thanos and introduces us to the new main antagonist in the Multiverse Saga series.
Fantastic Four: The First Steps It’s already set to be a pivotal film in the Marvel canon. The last attempt to bring the first Marvel family to screens in 2015 was one of the worst comic book movies in Marvel’s catalog. While Matt Shakman’s film avoids one of that film’s biggest problems—the curse of a terrible origin story—it still has a number of hurdles to overcome to ensure it doesn’t join 2023’s list of shame.
Related to
Why The Fantastic Four Are Marvel's Most Important Heroes
The arrival of the Fantastic Four in comics changed superheroes forever and launched the Marvel Universe, and now they're ready to revive the MCU.
The film is said to be set in an alternate reality, and we already know that planet-eating Galactus is the villain of the film, but that doesn’t mean Downey Jr.’s version of Victor Von Doom is out of the picture. In fact, as one of the Fantastic Four’s main enemies in Marvel Comics, it’s the perfect setting to find Doom and spark his journey through time and space to become the biggest threat the Marvel Comics universe has ever seen.
Of course, even Fantastic Four: The First Steps When the film hits theaters, we can only speculate if and how Downey Jr. will make his first appearance. Marvel Studios doesn’t give away secrets like free candy, and anything involving Doctor Doom is likely to be one of the most closely guarded secrets in the entire multiverse saga. Whether or not Downey Jr. shows up, Fantastic Four: The First Steps It will be released on July 25, 2025.
Avengers: Judgment Day
It will be released in theaters on May 1, 2026.
