Daily News for Marvel Movie

Summary

• Robert Downey Jr.'s casting as Doctor Doom caused some concern, and this has turned to confusion after confirmation that he'll be playing Victor Von Doom, not a variant of Tony Stark.
• Chris Evans' return as Johnny Storm's Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine, who has no connection to Steve Rogers' Captain America, proves that Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom can work.
• Robert Downey Jr. is an incredibly talented and acclaimed actor, so bringing him back to the MCU is a very good idea for Marvel Studios, though he likely won't be playing Doctor Doom permanently.

There have been concerns about Robert Downey Jr.'s surprise casting as Doctor Doom in the MCU, but one returning hero in Deadpool & Wolverine already proved that this casting can work perfectly. After playing Tony Stark's Iron Man, the face of the MCU, for over a decade, it seemed as though Robert Downey Jr.'s time with Marvel Studios was over. This meant that Downey Jr.'s casting announcement by Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers at this year's SDCC came as a huge surprise, and has led to division among fans of the MCU.
Following 2023's dramas surrounding Jonathan Majors, it seemed necessary for Marvel Studios to replace the multiversal villain Kang the Conqueror and his variants with a new threat in Phase 6. Doctor Doom is the perfect replacement, as he has been one of Marvel's most iconic, consistent and complex villains since his comic debut in 1962's The Fantastic Four #5. As one of the most recognized and acclaimed actors of his generation, Robert Downey Jr. will surely deliver a powerful Doctor Doom, but his casting has still caused some controversy.
Robert Downey Jr. MCU Movie
Year
Role
Iron Man
2008
Tony Stark's Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk
2008
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Iron Man 2
2010
Tony Stark's Iron Man
The Avengers
2012
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Iron Man 3
2013
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Captain America: Civil War
2016
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Spider-Man: Homecoming
2017
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Tony Stark's Iron Man
Avengers: Doomsday
2026
Victor Von Doom's Doctor Doom
Avengers: Secret Wars
2027
Victor Von Doom's Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr.’s Return To The MCU Has Caused Some Confusion Robert Downey Jr. Has Confirmed He Is Playing Victor Von Doom Almost immediately after Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed to be bringing Doctor Doom into the MCU, speculation began to emerge about how Marvel Studios could actually pull this off. Downey Jr. previously played one of the franchise's most significant and central superheroes, so it's difficult to imagine him making the switch to become one of Marvel's biggest villains. While theories have arisen suggesting he could be playing a variant of Tony Stark who became Doctor Doom, Downey Jr. seems to have confirmed that he will, indeed, be Victor Von Doom himself.
2:04 Related Robert Downey Jr. Addresses MCU Return As Doctor Doom, Confirms Which Version Will Be In Avengers 5 After his big announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Robert Downey Jr. opens up on how his return to the MCU, but as Doctor Doom happened.
15 This has been a huge cause of confusion among audiences, as many struggle to understand how an actor as pivotal to the MCU as Robert Downey Jr. can return as an entirely new character with no connection to his previous role. The fact that Downey Jr. has confirmed he'll be playing Victor Von Doom – as did the Russo brothers at SDCC – means that it's very unlikely the villain will be related to Tony Stark in any way. While this might be hard to wrap our heads around, Marvel Studios has already proven this can work.
Chris Evans Already Proved An MCU Legend Can Return As A Completely Different Character Chris Evans Returned As Johnny Storm's Human Torch In Deadpool & Wolverine Close Alongside Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark in the MCU's Infinity Saga was Chris Evans' Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America. Steve Rogers also left the MCU in Avengers: Endgame, retiring in the past with Peggy Carter, and Chris Evans has been very consistent in his comments about not reprising his role of Captain America just yet. However, this didn't stop him coming back as his other Marvel hero, Johnny Storm's Human Torch, in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, and Evans' two MCU characters have no connection to each other whatsoever.
Chris Evans previously appeared as Johnny Storm's Human Torch in 2005's Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer. Interestingly, Robert Downey Jr. was reportedly in talks to appear as Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four, before Julian McMahon was cast instead.
The fact that Chris Evans, another MCU legend, can return as a whole new character with no link to his former role means that Robert Downey Jr. can easily do this, too. Deadpool, who has become famous for his fourth wall breaks and meta comments, was the only character to notice the link between Steve Rogers and Johnny Storm, so the similarities between Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom could simply be ignored by everyone but Deadpool, should they meet. In fact, there are major benefits to having Robert Downey Jr. portray the MCU's Doctor Doom.
Why Robert Downey Jr. May Be The Best Choice To Play Doctor Doom (For Now) Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom Can Get The MCU Back On Its Feet It's undeniable that Marvel Studios fell into something of a lull following Avengers: Endgame. The massive increase in content being produced meant that workers behind the scenes were stretched too thin, culminating in a noticeable drop in visual effects, writing and narrative quality. Marvel Studios is finally starting to earn back its stellar reputation, especially after Deadpool & Wolverine very quickly became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. This streak needs to continue, and bringing back safe bets like the Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr. is a surefire way to accomplish this.
Related Iron Man Just Lost His Top 3 Marvel Box Office Position To Deadpool Following another incredible weekend for Deadpool & Wolverine, the titular heroes have become some of Marvel’s most profitable characters.
1 Aside from helping the MCU get back on its feet, Robert Downey Jr.'s casting as Doctor Doom ensures that one of modern cinema's most talented and committed actors will be portraying one of Marvel's greatest villains. The foe needs to be done justice in the MCU, particularly since previous live-action adaptations of Doctor Doom have fallen flat, and Downey Jr. can deliver that. It's unlikely Downey Jr. will be Doctor Doom permanently, as a fresher face may assume the role after Avengers: Secret Wars, but Downey Jr. may be the best choice for the legendary villain right now.
Deadpool & Wolverine R Action Sci-FiComedySuperhero A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
Director Shawn Levy Distributor(s) Disney Cast Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Emma Corrin , Morena Baccarin , Rob Delaney , Leslie Uggams , Karan Soni , Matthew Macfadyen , Brianna Hildebrand , Shioli Kutsuna , Stefan Kapicic , Lewis Tan , Randal Reeder , Jennifer Garner , Aaron Stanford , Billy Clements , Ollie Palmer , Chris Hemsworth , Rob McElhenney Runtime 127 Minutes prequel(s) Deadpool , Deadpool 2 Release Date July 26, 2024 Expand 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