New Mask. Same Task.
The Man in the Iron Mask Returns
On Saturday, July 28th, in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios presented plenty of upcoming surprises for the future of the MCU. The biggest reveal, without question, was the return of acclaimed Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr.; however, this time, he will be donning a different mask. The actor will portray none other than one of Marvel’s most iconic villains in their catalog: Victor Von Doom. RDJ’s return has sparked plenty of conversation. Will this return impact the ending of Avengers: Endgame? Is using the same actor in a different role beneficial or a hindrance? Is Marvel Studios desperate after a down year at the box office? To put it plainly, I believe this is a rather genius, brilliant, and bold idea for a few reasons.
Addressing the Kang in the Room
RDJ will be coming back to play the iconic villain Doctor Doom, and this is attributed to a few factors. Jonathan Majors was dropped from the role of Kang the Conqueror after the verdict of the trial was found guilty. One could argue general audiences didn’t invest in Marvel’s baddie, following the disappointing box office of Ant-Man: Quantumania. Despite the variants of Kang getting praise for their performances in the Disney+ series Loki, Quantumania did not inspire confidence. Lastly, Dr. Doom is a more popular villain and heralded as the greatest villain in Marvel comics.
The Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will debut Marvel’s first family before both Avengers: Doomsday & Avengers Secret Wars. At SDCC, Kevin Feige confirmed that the Fantastic Four will be in both films. Victor Von Doom was introduced in Fantastic Four #5 and is the archnemesis of Reed Richards. Galactus is confirmed to be the big bad of the film, Robert Downey Jr’s first appearance before Avengers: Doomsday could be in the ensemble coming July 25th, 2025. Pedro Pascal is set to play Richards and Robert Downey Jr playing his opposite will make for some interesting chemistry on screen. While unconfirmed, it’s a safe bet that Doom might appear.
Secret Wars
The entire Multiverse saga will culminate in Avengers: Secret Wars. Based on the event of the same name in Marvel comics, the first storyline was pitched to sell toys and other merchandise in 1984. The Jonathan Hickman Secret Wars Storyline saw Doctor Doom as ruler of ‘Battleworld’ – going by “God Emperor Doom” after the incursion of Earth’s 1610 and 616. The MCU showed incursions happening in Doctor Strange into the Multiverse of Madness & The Marvels, which hints that Hickman’s story is serving as some inspiration. Joe and Anthony Russo have also stated Secret Wars as their favorite Marvel storyline. How does Robert Downey Jr fit as Doctor Doom into this?
In Defense of RDJ as Doctor Doom in the MCU
The answer is quite simple, yet brilliant. If the timeline changes following the events of both Avengers movies, the person who started the MCU with Iron Man should be the one to end it. Rumors of a soft reboot to the MCU following Secret Wars have been rampant for some time. This can be a grand send-off for longtime actors such as Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo, who occupied roles for several years. This would be a prime time for Marvel Studios to recast key characters like Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Natasha Romanoff. This also offers the opportunity for legacy characters/actors to interact with RDJ. Imagine Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier or Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man getting some screen time against RDJ as Doctor Doom? Doesn’t that sound excellent?
Complicated Characters
Ultimately, Robert Downey Jr playing the biggest villain in Marvel comics after playing the biggest heroes in the MCU feels synergetic. After a decade of playing a charismatic billionaire, returning to play an evil genius who utilizes science and magic is exciting to think about. Victor Von Doom is a flawed individual and often finds victory when others fail. From a real-world standpoint, this is fitting. Given the lackluster success of Kang for the MCU could pave the way for Doctor Doom. After his heel turn in Oppenheimer, Downey will have no problem tapping into the darker side of his acting prowess.
Variant of Tony Stark?
The biggest question coming from this announcement: Will Victor Von Doom be a variant of Tony Stark? It is not out of the realm of possibility. However, a What If? story titled Demon in an Armor could offer some inspiration for Doom’s inclusion in the MCU. It’s possible Doom could have put his mind into Tony Stark’s body and continued living as such. The Fantastic Four: First Steps may shed some light on the origins of this version of the character. All that said, RDJ returning is sure to garner plenty of conversation as the multiverse saga comes to an end.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases on July 25th, 2025 & Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1st, 2026.