It’s official. Marvel announced that the Iron Man actor will return as Doctor Doom in San Diego Comic Con 2024. Although this may upset some fans because it seems like Marvel is pulling a cheap move to undo Iron Man’s sacrifice in ‘Avengers: Endgame’, this idea might actually just work – if it’s done correctly. Let’s find out how.
We all know that Kang was supposed to be the big bad in the fifth Avengers movie, subtitled ‘Kang Dynasty.’ After the actor who plays the character, Jonathan Majors, was involved in a domestic-violence trial, it seems that Marvel has replaced Kang with Doctor Doom as the next big bad in the upcoming two Avengers movies, subtitled ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’.
A More Faithful Adaptation From The Comics
Based on the title of the sixth Avengers movie, it is very likely that Marvel Studios is adapting ‘Secret Wars’ storyline from the 2015 comic book miniseries. If that’s the case, choosing Doctor Doom rather than Kang as the big bad would be a more faithful adaptation from the comics.
In ‘Secret Wars’ (2015), every universe is trembling one by one. As a solution, Doctor Doom acquired the Infinity Stones and merged the multiverse into a single planet under his rule. The world was created through his image. Susan Storm (Invisible Woman) became his wife and he named himself as ‘God Emperor Doom’.
If that’s not crazy enough, Doctor Doom had a battle with Thanos. Wouldn’t it be crazy to see Robert Downey Jr had a rematch with a variant of Thanos?!
This Ain’t RDJ’s First Rodeo
He is known for playing Tony Stark, Sherlock Holmes, and Hank Palmer. But people need to understand that RDJ can play more than just witty and charismatic characters.
In Oppenheimer (2023), he demonstrated his ability to play an antagonistic character, Lewis Strauss. He even won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. We just need to trust Robert and his exceptional acting abilities to play the brilliant, arrogant, and brooding character like Doctor Doom.
Russo Brothers Return
Marvel has changed the director and writers for the fifth and the sixth Avengers movie for quite some times now. Guess who are the directors that Marvel finally settled with? Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo.
You know, the brothers that made the entire ‘Captain America’ trilogy, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, and ‘Avengers: Endgame’. These gentlemen have the most experience working with Marvel and they demonstrated their ability to make banger after banger throughout the MCU. We can trust Doctor Doom in their hands.
It Fits The Multiverse Narrative
Throughout the multiverse saga (especially in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’), it has been established that different actors could play the same character and different characters could be played by the same actor. It’s not a new thing.
In the fifth and the sixth Avengers movie, we need to understand that Doctor Doom is not Iron Man. He’s not even a variant of Iron Man. His sacrifice in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ would never be undone in any way.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom could be an exciting development for the Marvel Cinematic Universe if approached with care. Despite concerns that this move might undermine Iron Man’s sacrifice, there are compelling reasons to be optimistic. The choice of Doctor Doom aligns with a more faithful adaptation of the ‘Secret Wars’ storyline, and Downey’s proven acting range suggests he can effectively embody the character’s complex traits. Coupled with the experienced Russo brothers at the helm, this decision holds the potential to enhance the multiverse narrative while bringing a fresh and intriguing dynamic to the Avengers saga.
