Robert Downey Jr. will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom in the forthcoming “Avengers” film “Avengers: Doomsday,” directed by Joe and Anthony Russo in their return to Marvel.
The filmmaking team is set to direct two new “Avengers” films: “Doomsday,” which will debut Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom, and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
While Downey stated in previous interviews that he was open to returning to Marvel, fans naturally expected he would return as Iron Man/Tony Stark. Downey’s comeback as the evil Victor von Doom has shocked the fanbase, particularly the jubilant audience during Marvel’s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con.
Downey triumphantly appeared in Hall H on Saturday evening to announce his homecoming. Downey’s first appearance as the playboy super-genius Stark was in 2008’s “Iron Man,” the first film of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s linked Marvel Cinematic Universe concept. Over the following 11 years, Downey would reprise his character in ten Marvel films, including “Iron Man 2,” “Iron Man 3,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “The Avengers,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
Iron Man died in “Endgame.”. Last December, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told Vanity Fair that he had no intention of disrupting Downey’s emotional goodbye.
“We are going to keep that moment and not touch it again,” Feige stated at the time regarding Iron Man’s demise. “We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.”
Downey is returning to Marvel, but not as Iron Man. This year, the actor expressed a strong desire to return to the franchise.
After receiving his Academy Award for “Oppenheimer,” the actor was questioned about whether he will ever return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor did not hesitate to say yes.
“Happily. “It’s too much a part of my DNA,” Downey explained. “That role chose me.” And, as I often say, ‘Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.’ This is a losing bet. He is the house. “He’ll always win.”
The news about Victor von Doom adds to the actor’s already successful year. In March, he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”. Downey most recently appeared in Park Chan-wooks’ mini-series “The Sympathizer” on HBO, where he portrayed CIA officer Claude, among other roles. He received an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a limited series or anthology.
