The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday has built incredible excitement after Marvel Studios announced Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU at the recent SDCC 2024 after his last appearance in the Russo Brothers’ 2019 Avengers: Endgame. However, instead of Tony Stark / Iron Man, he will play the role of the villain Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom, this time replacing Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. As some may still be surprised by his comeback as the Multiverse Saga’s antagonist, Robert reveals how he landed the Doctor Doom role in Doomsday.
In a talk on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Robert discussed his return to the MCU and how he ended up taking on the role of Doctor Doom after portraying the iconic Iron Man for more than a decade. It all started about a year ago after he felt the urge to visit Disney CEO Bob Iger to make a proposal that involved Disney Parks and its other location-based entertainment.
So, probably a year ago...cause, you know, [Kevin] Feige and I have kept in touch. We're pals. [Jon] Favreau, Feige, and I have kept in touch. I'm close with the Russo Brothers; we have other business we're doing. So, there's this little group of fellow travelers, and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger, and I had an idea outside of the Cinematic Universe for how I could be of service to what's going on in the Parks and all their location-based entertainment.
While sitting down with his wife, Susan Downey, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, the latter suggested how he could make a comeback but was interrupted by Susan. As his wife questioned how he would return, the two gentlemen realized they couldn’t go backward and should continue to exceed expectations. From there, Feige proposed that he could be Doctor Doom.
“And he brought up Victor Von Doom,” he continued. “I looked up this character, and I was like, 'Wow.' Later, Kevin goes, 'Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let's get that right.'”
Robert told Feige he wanted to talk to Iger about “everything.” When they finally met, he had “a lot of really cool experiences.” The Disney boss liked Robert and Feige’s idea and asked the actor to visit the Imagineering Campus. Naturally, Robert agreed and made the trip with Feige. He was blown away when Feige and Iger started talking, although he couldn’t say much about it.
“I can't say too much, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible,” Robert teased.
Marvel Studios Seemingly Wanted to Replace Jonathan Majors’ Kang as the MCU’s Villain All Along
Marvel Studios fired Majors in December 2023 after he was found guilty of two domestic violence charges. Seven months later, the studio surprised fans by announcing Robert’s new role as Doctor Doom, replacing Kang as the new MCU villain. This change also prompted the renaming of Avengers 5 from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday. However, with Robert's recent revelation about discussions concerning his major comeback a year ago, it seems Marvel may have planned to replace Majors all along.
Before Majors was arrested and later convicted of assault, his MCU debut was underwhelming. He first appeared in Peyton Reed’s 2023 film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which received mixed reviews and became a box-office flop. As a result, the executives might have realized that Kang wouldn’t work out as the new MCU villain. Consequently, Feige wanted to ensure Doctor Doom was done right, and everything became possible after Robert returned.
Fans now have high expectations for Robert’s return to the MCU. Having perfectly portrayed Iron Man from his first movie in 2008 to Endgame, all eyes are on how he will take on his new role as Doctor Doom, transitioning from a much-loved protagonist to a widely hated villain.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.
