After years of beseeching the studio and holding onto hope with obstinate optimism, Marvel fans finally got their prayers answered with Robert Downey Jr. officially returning to the MCU. But, there’s a catch.
RDJ may have come back to the superhero cosmos, but it’s not as the cocky yet charismatic Tony Stark. No, the Iron Man star is slated to step into the shoes of the menacing Doctor Doom as part of his grand homecoming, and fans are not particularly thrilled.
Robert Downey Jr. is Officially Back in the MCU
It looks like the Heavens decided to smile down on fans (but maybe not Iron Man votaries) with Robert Downey Jr. set to return to the MCU as Dr. Victor Werner von Doom, a supervillain notorious for fusing his sorcery with technopathy to create an ungodly amount of power against his foes.
The shocking news was delivered during Marvel’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con and the revelation was made almost ceremoniously as Doweny Jr. – clad in a green suit and Doctor Doom mask – announced from the stage, “New mask, same task,” with aplomb.
The most bankable actor will portray the maniacal scientific genius in two forthcoming MCU powerhouses – Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
This stunning development comes amid the record-breaking opening for Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine, and as confirmed by Kevin Feige, both the imminent films are going to be helmed by Avengers: Endgame directors, Joe and Anthony Russo.
But perhaps what’s more staggering than the 59-year-old actor’s comeback to the superhero franchise, is fans’ reactions to it.
Marvel Fans Are Not Too Happy With RDJ’s Doctor Doom Casting
While many seem unequivocally thrilled about the Oppenheimer star playing Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a lot of fans seem disgruntled with this turn of events.
In a post by DiscussingFilm on X, while some can be seen celebrating in the comment section, a throng of people appear to be disappointed with the casting choice.
After Iron Man’s lamentable death in 2019’s Endgame, fans wept (quite literally) at the prospect of not being able to see their favorite Marvel superhero again. Then came the mystifying news of Hugh Jackman‘s reprisal as a once-dead Wolverine, which meant that Downey Jr. too, could come back. Which he did. Just not as what people were anticipating.
Sure, the fandom had been rooting for RDJ back as the philanthropist-by-day-billionaire-playboy-by-night. But many also seem astonished at what may be a peculiar role that could very well have been portrayed by fresh blood instead. Alas, we can’t have everything that we want, now can we?
Avengers: Doomsday will premiere in May 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars, in May 2027.
