Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was inevitable, but Marvel fans were shocked to see the 59-year-old actor unveiled as the supervillain Doctor Doom. This surprising announcement was made during San Diego’s Comic-Con on Saturday by MCU President Kevin Feige. Additionally, Feige announced the return of the directing duo, the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame), who will helm two more Avengers sequels, Secret Wars and Doomsday, with the latter introducing Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.
Who Is Doctor Doom?
Doctor Doom, the longtime adversary of the Fantastic Four, is a complex, intimidating villain who boasts mastery over both magic and science. Doom hides his face behind a mask after his good looks were slightly scarred, and in some comic variations, he deliberately scars himself. He is considered one of the most iconic villains in Marvel history, and comic book fans have been eagerly waiting for his introduction to the big screen.
MCU fans have also been waiting for the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, but the announcement of Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom took the fandom by surprise. Like Tony Stark, Doom is an eccentric, charismatic genius with a huge ego, but the good Doctor is meant to be a unique individual, not just another version of Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Casting as Doctor Doom Sparks Backlash
Somewhat confusingly, Downey Jr. is not playing Doom as a twisted multiverse variant of Tony Stark—he is Victor Von Doom, the comic-accurate character, a brand new addition to the MCU. Online, fans reacted with bafflement and mockery. Many expressed disappointment that Doom, a hugely popular villain, had seemingly been wasted over a casting gimmick. Others jokingly predicted that Marvel’s version of the X-Men would be played by The Avengers.
One Twitter user managed to “predict” Downey Jr. as Doom via a sarcastic post that poked fun at Marvel’s desperate nostalgia; another commentator noted that even Reddit was unimpressed by the casting.
Kang Is Not Returning to the MCU
Talk soon turned to Kang, the multidimensional supervillain played by Jonathan Majors, who was dropped by Marvel Studios after being convicted of assault and harassment of his ex-girlfriend. Kang was due to be the big bad of the next Avengers saga, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (which has since been scrapped). Since Kang was a master of the multiverse, composed of many different variants, fans were unsure if Marvel was going to recast the character. The reveal of Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom made it clear that the MCU’s Kang was not coming back.
Nostalgia in the MCU
The surprise casting comes in the wake of Deadpool & Wolverine’s strong opening weekend and positive reaction from fans. The Marvel film pokes fun at unpopular MCU multiverse storylines and ironically mocks the idea of nostalgia casting, while boasting a solid performance from Hugh Jackman as a multiverse variant of Wolverine. For Kevin Feige’s MCU, it appears that nostalgia is more than just a punchline; the glorious heights of the past seem to be the future for Marvel Studios.
As Marvel continues to weave its intricate web of characters and storylines, only time will tell if Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Doctor Doom will resonate with fans or further fuel the ongoing debates within the fandom.
