Like Thanos himself, Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been inevitable, but few saw it coming.
Marvel revealed on Saturday at pop culture convention Comic-Con that Downey will return to the franchise in the upcoming film “Avengers: Doomsday” (2026), followed by “Avengers: Secret Wars” (2027). But rather than resurrecting Tony Stark/Iron Man, he’ll take on a new role as Doctor Doom, one of Marvel’s most iconic villains.
So who is Doctor Doom (aka Victor Von Doom) and why is it so important that Downey plays him?
Join the watch party!Sign up to get USA TODAY movie and TV recommendations via email
Is Robert Downey Jr. returning to Marvel? What to know about his role as Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers movie
Victor Von Doom, who appeared in the 1962 film The Fantastic Four, is a brilliant scientist from the fictional European country of Latveria. This notorious supervillain is also the enemy of Reed Richards, a member of the Fantastic Four, whom he met as a student. Pedro Pascal has been cast as Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, and will make his debut as the character in 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Want to take a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
In the comics, Von Doom dons the mask and armor after being injured when a machine he invented explodes. He later becomes the ruler of Latveria and plots world domination. According to Marvel.com, Doom “craves power, control, and the knowledge that he is supreme at everything.” “Whether it’s time travel, making a deal with the devil, or teaming up with enemies to fight a common foe, Doom’s ultimate goal is to take control.” He also uses magical spells.
Doctor Doom was played by Julian McMahon in the 2005 film “Fantastic Four” and by Toby Kebbell in the 2015 reboot. The character also plays a key role in Marvel’s 2015 comic “Secret Wars,” where he creates the planet Battleworld, where different universes collide. The story may have served as inspiration for the film “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
Is Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom related to Iron Man??
Doctor Doom has been expected to come to the MCU ever since Marvel announced the new Fantastic Four movie, but the idea that the studio would cast the same actor who played one of its most beloved heroes, Iron Man, as the iconic villain was shocking. It has not been revealed how this will play out.
However, because Fantastic Four: The First Step is set in an alternate universe, Downey’s Doctor Doom likely originates from there rather than the main MCU timeline, meaning Downey’s Doom could actually be an evil, alternate version of Tony Stark.
Alternatively, Doctor Doom could resemble Tony Stark but be otherwise unrelated. If Doom is always hiding under a mask, Downey could be disguised in a way that makes him unrecognizable. At Comic-Con, “Avengers” directors Joe and Anthony Russo simply confirmed that Doctor Doom’s name is still Victor Von Doom.
The casting came as a surprise, as many fans had expected Downey to reprise his role as the alternate universe hero Iron Man in Avengers: Secret Wars, and given there are an infinite number of universes to draw from for the character, that could still theoretically happen in addition to the actor’s Doom role.
Robert Downey Jr. to replace Jonathan Majors as Marvel’s next villain
Casting Downey as Doom marks a major shift for Marvel, which announced at 2022 Comic-Con that its next “Avengers” films would be titled “Avengers: Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” The former will focus on Kang the Conqueror, a villain featured in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania,” played by Jonathan Majors.
But Quantamania underperformed at the box office last year, and Marvel dropped Majors after he was convicted of assaulting a former girlfriend. The title of the next Avengers movie was changed from “Kang Dynasty” to “Doomsday,” suggesting Marvel is moving away from Kang and looking to make Doom their next big villain.
Marvel superhero movies ranking:Including “Deadpool & Wolverine”
Fans have mixed feelings about the casting of Robert Downey Jr., with some arguing that Mads Mikkelsen should have played Doom.
Reactions to this shocking casting news have been mixed, with some fans saying they would have preferred to see a new actor play the role of Doom, while others have expressed unease with the idea that this casting could potentially change Doom’s backstory, assuming he is another member of the Stark family.
“RDJ is great but I just don’t like this casting. If they completely change Victor Von Doom again it will be disappointing at best,” one fan commented on Reddit.
“I just… I dunno… I’d rather have the real Dr. Victor Von Doom than a stunt version,” writer Adam Fraser wrote on X, while writer William Bibbiani said, “Doctor Doom is one of my favorite characters in comic book history and I’m genuinely disappointed to see him being marketed as ‘evil Iron Man’ instead of his own unique character.”
Other fans suggested that Mads Mikkelsen, who previously played the villain Kaecilius in Doctor Strange, would be a better fit for the role of Doom: “If they’re bringing back actors from the MCU…Mads is right up there,” one fan commented on Reddit.
Overall, this may be the biggest risk Marvel has taken in years, and we’ll find out if it pays off when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in May 2026.
