On Saturday, Marvel caused quite a stir at Comic-Con by making an unexpected announcement: Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the Marvel universe, but (technically) not in his previous role as Iron Man from the Avengers movies. Instead, he’ll be portraying the iconic villain Doctor Doom. This news has sparked mixed reactions, as there’s very little information available at this time, leading to widespread speculation.
What do we know so far? Not a lot. Downey Jr. will take on the role of Doctor Doom, a major adversary of Marvel’s superheroes, on par with characters like Galactus and Thanos. Doctor Doom is known for his conflicts with the Fantastic Four as well as other prominent Marvel heroes. The studio revealed that he’ll play a pivotal role in the upcoming Avengers movie titled Doomsday, set for release in May 2025, followed by Secret Wars in 2026.
Does this casting decision make sense? On paper, it seems unusual. It’s rare for the same actor to portray two different roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). There have obviously been instances of actors playing different characters in separate Marvel movie universes, such as Chris Evans portraying Captain America and Human Torch in different film series.
Other examples include:
- Michelle Yeoh played Aleta Olgord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and Ying Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
- David Dastmalchian played Kurt Goreshter in the first two Ant-Man films, and Veb in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
- Gemma Chan played Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, and Sersi in Eternals.
However, these cases often involve secondary characters who are heavily disguised, whereas Downey Jr.’s iconic status complicates this casting decision.
The multiverse is the wildcard. We don’t know for sure what twist Marvel will introduce, but all signs point that the explanation will be in the multiverse. This concept is the focal point for the stories of the MCU post-Endgame. For instance, one possible plotline might involve a version of Tony Stark from a different timeline where he's turned to the dark side. Maybe not full-on evil, but a Stark who has taken on the role of Doctor Doom (who, in the comics, wears a mask to hide his deformed face).
Is there precedent for this in the comics? Iron Man and Doom have a history of conflict. Their rivalry dates back to 1981 in a story called Doomquest, in which they travel back to the court of King Arthur. They clash again in the Civil War storyline, with Stark leading S.H.I.E.L.D. and invading Latveria, Doom’s country.
After the events of 2015’s Secret Wars, Doom redeems himself and regains his face, transforming into a heroic character despite Stark’s initial skepticism. This development raises the question of whether Downey Jr. would have difficulty portraying a villain without the possibility of redemption. Furthermore, in the Civil War II storyline, Doom dons Iron Man’s armor in the Infamous Iron Man series but loses his face once again.
Is there any precedent in the multiverse? Yes, there’s a version of Stark called Iron Maniac that appeared in the Marvel Team-Up series in 2004. Additionally, the long-running What If show features a miniseries set in an alternate universe where Victor von Doom swaps bodies with Stark during their college days. In this alternate reality, Stark, trapped in Doom’s body, has to reclaim his company, Stark Universal, from Doom’s control. It’s unlikely that we’ll see these storylines in Doomsday, but the concept of the multiverse is still appealing. It’s worth noting that the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, set in a retro-futuristic alternative 1960s, may feature Doom for the first time.
The upside to all of this. From a business standpoint, this is an essential move for Marvel: We’ve been talking about the company for two days now. We’ve gone from having a very dubious future ahead of us to having myriads of fans excited about the new Avengers movies again. This is all thanks to Downey Jr.’s charisma, which the average fan associates with some of the most iconic moments of the most beloved phases of the MCU. It’s paradoxical that this charisma is also associated with one of the most discussed films, Iron Man 3, which in an alternate universe was a triumph liked by everyone and opened the door to an MCU full of humor, directors with authorial ambitions, and top-notch action.
The momentum Marvel needed. The success of a giant like Marvel depends on more than just will power. In fact, it depends on more than just quality movies. It also requires huge investments in marketing, fan service, promotion, and building a positive image. Today, Downey Jr. is one of a few actors who can guarantee all of this.
On the other hand… Some people criticize Marvel for playing it safe and not taking enough risks. This criticism comes at a time when many blockbuster franchises are being questioned for lacking originality. And that’s what Marvel does: produce blockbusters. Bringing back Downey Jr. might be a conservative move for Marvel, especially at a time when taking risks is being encouraged.
Two in one week. Marvel has made two similar moves in the same week. In Deadpool & Wolverine, they’re using the concept of the multiverse to bring back Wolverine, which is similar to what happened in the movie Logan. Additionally, there are hints that Downey Jr’s character, Tony Stark, may be resurrected in the MCU. Despite the potential dramatic impact, these moves appear to be paying off. The third Deadpool movie is doing well at the box office and receiving positive feedback from fans.
This is pure Marvel. In the end, throughout Marvel comics, characters have been killed off in tragic and memorable ways only to be brought back to life later on. This has even happened to major characters like Jean Grey and the original Captain Marvel. So, it’s safe to say that this move in the MCU is consistent with the unpredictable nature of Marvel’s storytelling.
This article was written by John Tones and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.
Image | Marvel
Related | How to Watch the Marvel Movies and TV Shows in Chronological Order
View 0 comments