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I've been worried that the MCU will remove one of the most important elements of Doctor Doom, ever since Robert Downey Jr.'s casting as the iconic Marvel villain was revealed. I'm aware that Robert Downey Jr.'s casting as Doctor Doom has been controversial, but I think this could be the best decision for the character. Downey Jr. previously played Tony Stark's Iron Man, one of the cornerstones of the MCU, for 11 years, leaving the franchise with an emotional sacrifice in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, so I'm excited to see him return.
Having said that, I do have my concerns about Robert Downey Jr. coming back to the MCU as an entirely new character, especially one who is also known for wearing a mask. Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's most significant and well-known characters, so it's imperative Marvel Studios gets him right. While Robert Downey Jr. could be the best person for the job, at least in the MCU's current environment, I'm worried Marvel Studios will remove a huge part of Doctor Doom's persona to make the most of Downey Jr.'s return.
Related Oh No, Marvel's Avengers 5 Update Makes Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man Return Less Likely Robert Downey Jr."s heavily rumored return to the MCU might be much less likely now that the Russo brothers are in talks to direct Phase 6"s Avengers.
I Don’t Want Doctor Doom To Take Off His Mask Too Much In Doomsday & Secret Wars One of the most important aspects of Doctor Doom's appearance in Marvel Comics is his metal armor, specifically his mask. He seldom removes his mask in the comics, and it carries a huge amount of importance for him, but I'm worried that Marvel Studios will omit this element of his character in the MCU. Marvel Studios will surely want to make the most of Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU, especially since this will provide the shock factor for the heroes who knew Tony Stark, which has me thinking Doctor Doom might remove his mask a lot.
In my opinion, this would be a dire mistake. I'm not saying that Robert Downey Jr. should be hidden behind Doctor Doom's mask throughout the entire duration of Phase 6's Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, but Doctor Doom is very particular about when he removes his mask in Marvel Comics, so Doctor Doom can't copy Tony Stark's willingness to show his face. Doctor Doom's mask gives the villain a level of mystery that makes him even more intimidating. Removing this will strip him of a lot of his haunting nature.
Robert Downey Jr. is set to debut as Doctor Doom in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, though there is also speculation that he could make his very first appearance next year in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Why Is Doctor Doom's Mask So Important In Marvel Comics? Close There have been many differing explanations for why Doctor Doom wears a mask in Marvel Comics, but I'm inclined to follow one of the earliest and most enduring explanations. Victor Von Doom met Reed Richards at college, and they quickly became scientific rivals. During a lab experiment in which the pair tried to best each other, the device Doom was working on exploded and left his face severely scarred. He designed the mask to hide his scars, meaning his armor persisted as a constant reminder of his rivalry with Mister Fantastic.
Victor Von Doom is depicted as a vain character, meaning he keeps his mask on to hide his scars, retaining his control over what people see when they see him. This is a critical aspect of Doctor Doom's personality that I hope the MCU retains. Doom is not proud of his scars, he rarely shows them off, and only considers removing his mask when his face is healed after 2015's Secret Wars, though he reacquires his mask when he is once again scarred. The mask is a powerful symbol for Doctor Doom, so shouldn't be handled lightly in the MCU.
Related 10 Things To Know About Doctor Doom Before RDJ Plays Him In Avengers 5 With RDJ’s casting, the MCU will finally get its Doctor Doom in Avengers 5, drawing from years of lore that define the iconic Marvel villain.
1 Doctor Doom Shouldn't Copy Iron Man's Mask-Wearing Patterns In The MCU My worry is that Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom will have a similarly blasé attitude to wearing his mask as Tony Stark did in the MCU's Infinity Saga. Over the course of ten feature films spanning 11 years, Tony Stark was seen wearing his Iron Man costume without its mask a total of 19 times (I watched back and did the math). Sometimes, this even happened in the heat of battle, which has always baffled me, as Stark didn't have any other superhuman gifts that would have protected his face and head in these high-intensity moments.
Iron Man MCU Movie
Year
Times In Suit
Maskless
Iron Man
2008
4
1
The Incredible Hulk
2008
0
0
Iron Man 2
2010
5
4
The Avengers
2012
6
2
Iron Man 3
2013
8
3
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015
3
0
Captain America: Civil War
2016
2
2
Spider-Man: Homecoming
2017
1
0
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
6
4
Avengers: Endgame
2019
3
3
While Tony Stark was constantly cavalier about removing his mask and being seen only in the body of the Iron Man suit, Doctor Doom needs to take a different approach. Of course, I want to see Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom remove his mask at least once – we need to see his scarring underneath to get an idea of his motivations. However, I think this needs to be kept to a minimum. Luckily, Downey Jr. has experience acting behind a mask, so he can still deliver a commanding and terrifying Doctor Doom despite being hidden.
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Created by Kevin Feige Upcoming Films Deadpool & Wolverine , Captain America: Brave New World , Thunderbolts (2025) , Blade (2025) , The Fantastic Four (2025) , Avengers 5 , Avengers: Secret Wars Upcoming TV Shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos , Ironheart , Daredevil: Born Again , Wakanda , Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , Marvel Zombies , Wonder Man , Vision Quest Upcoming MCU Movies Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025 Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025 The Fantastic Four (2025)
Release Date July 25, 2025 Blade (2025)
Release Date November 7, 2025 Avengers: Doomsday
Release Date May 1, 2026 Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027