Robert Downey Jr. is back! No, he is not returning as some Tony Stark variant popping in from the multiverse. Instead, he will be seen playing the villain, Doctor Doom instead. The actor will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers 5 which has now been officially renamed to Avengers: Doomsday. Well, MCU’s Kang days are officially over.
And while we are all very excited to have RDJ back, we sure are a little confused. Since the supes are pretty well-versed with who Tony Stark was, Doctor Doom resembling him in appearance might be a little problematic. However, all of this can be overcome if Marvel decides to adapt the storyline of one comic – What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor.
A Marvel Comic That Makes Robert Downey Jr.’s Return Make Sense
What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor was published in 2010 and was written by David Michelinie & Bob Layton. In the comic book, Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom were roomies in college and of course, something had to go wrong.
Now, Tony being Tony was never too worried about school and took it all quite lightly, indulging himself in partying. On the other hand, Victor was pretty studious and took his education much more seriously. One day, Victor learns that his scholarship might not get renewed. This sends him into a frenzy and he starts working on a secret “project.” (Hint – it’s evil).
Tony might not be into school but he sure is a genius. It didn’t take long for Victor to realize this since Tony had already pointed out a mistake in his calculations. Victor decided to ask his roommate to help who agreed, reluctantly.
After the two worked on the project together, Victor traps Tony and the latter realizes that he has been tricked. Using the machine that they designed together, Victor successfully manages to switch their bodies and erase his memories. Tony became Victor and Victor became Tony.
Things were going great for Victor in Tony’s body who eventually became the head of Stark International. On the other hand, Tony in Victor’s body was suffering. He was expelled from school and sent back to Latveria. He also struggles with addiction.
Over time, Tony overcomes this downfall and starts Doom Industries – a company that puts Stark International at risk of being out of business. Victor decides to don an Iron Man suit to disrupt Tony’s newfound business. Tony also suits up but his suit is no match to Victor’s Iron Man suit. However, his wit is.
He quickly hacks into the enemy suit and incapacitates Victor who, defeated, proceeds to tell Tony the truth and asks if they could go back into their own bodies. Tony refuses the proposal as the Stark name has been tainted thanks to Victor’s greed and cruelty. He decides to stay in Victor’s body and continue leading his honorable life as Dr. Victor Von Doom.
Now that Robert Downey Jr. has returned to the MCU, it would make sense for the studio to use this storyline in their favor. Needless to say, a multiverse aspect would be required here – right on theme for the ongoing MCU phases! Excited to see what Avengers 5 aka Avengers: Doomsday brings to the table.
Fans React to Robert Downey Jr.’s Return
After Tony’s death in Avengers: Endgame, many fans have been lobbying for the return of RDJ to the MCU. However, never in their wildest imaginations would they have guessed the move Marvel just pulled.
At the Hall H panel at Comic-Con 2024, Anthony and Joe Russo, who will be directing the next two Avengers films revealed that Doctor Doom has arrived in the MCU and that Downey Jr. will be playing him. Needless to say, the fans went wild.
Check out some of their reactions below:
THIS SHIT GAVE ME CHILLS! From Iron Man to Doctor Doom. This story arc is about to be crazy as hell. The best marvel hero becoming one of the most iconic villains. Robert Downey Jr. is the GOAT. https://t.co/tmNAH98rKZ
— keith (@FvshionsWarrior) July 28, 2024
HISTORIC
HES THE GOAT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
— 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 (@SixthManJake) July 28, 2024
RDJ back in the MCU pic.twitter.com/dz2D0K1fsK
— Sancheezzzy (@Scoby20) July 28, 2024
STANDING OVATION BABY!!!!
— BlazeYourThoughts (@LadyWells42) July 28, 2024
I FW THIS SO MUCH WHAT A WAY TO BRING HIM BACK
— Grahamalot (@Grahamelot) July 28, 2024
On stage, the Iron Man actor stated (via EW), “New name, same task. What can I say, I like playing complicated characters.”
Downey as Iron Man is not just another role – it’s a legacy and an emotion. It’ll be interesting to see how he rebrands himself as Doctor Doom next. 2026 couldn’t come soon enough!
Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theatres on May 01, 2026.
