Movies News Talk
The return of Robert Downey Jr. to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Doctor Doom rocked the fan base. This surprising turn of events replaces the predicted comeback of Kang the Conqueror, therefore creating a universe of possibilities for emotional interactions between the villain and MCU heros in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Victor von Doom instead of Iron Man has major consequences that might result in tragic and dramatic events for dear characters.
Don Cheadle's James Rhodes will be among the heroes most profoundly touched by the disclosure of Doctor Doom's actual identity. Given the strong relationship between Iron Man and War Machine, Rhodey could find great devastation upon realizing Doctor Doom shares Iron Man's face—perhaps a multiverse variant. The discovery in Secret Invasion that War Machine had been replaced by a Skrull—that means he wasn't present when Tony Stark passed away—adds to this already. Rhodey will find great emotional weight in confronting Doctor Doom, a mirror image of the friend he was unable to save.
One of the few surviving original Avengers still in the MCU is Jeremy Renner's character, Clint Barton. His mentoring of the Young Avengers, a squad predicted to be very important for Avengers: Doomsday, gives his interaction with Doctor Doom still another dimension. Given their history of sardonic interactions and shared confrontations, Hawkeye and Iron Man will find great resonance in the disclosure of Doctor Doom's actual identity. As Hawkeye confronts Doctor Doom, his past interactions with Tony Stark will surely be top priority.
Chris Hemsworth's character Thor has a convoluted and lengthy background with the Avengers. Though his relationship with Iron Man was one of both conflict and friendship, it was not always tight. Still, the news that Doctor Doom shares Iron Man's visage would probably cause Thor great feelings, especially in view of his deep loss following Black Widow's death in Avengers: Endgame. Thor's response to confronting a "version" of Tony Stark will be a fascinating study of his past events and the effects of loss.
The first hero verified to resurfacing for Avengers: Doomsday is Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange. His great awareness of the multiverse might help him to find more Iron Man variations to support the fight against Doctor Doom. In Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Strange and Iron Man had memorable encounters exhibiting great chemistry and cooperating to face Thanos. Through his meeting with Doctor Doom, one could investigate Doctor Strange's awareness of Iron Man's sacrifice and possible sense of guilt for his death.
Known for his fourth-wall-breaking humor and sharp observations, Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool is probably going to show up in the forthcoming Avengers films. There are countless ways Deadpool may joke about Doctor Doom, Robert Downey Jr.'s casting, and the public's reaction to his new part. It would be funny to have the zany Deadpool next to the solemn Doctor Doom.
Among Iron Man's closest MCU buddies is Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner. Their encounter with Doctor Doom will be quite intimate given their shared intelligence and history, which spans their first team-up in The Avengers to their development of Ultron. Along with She-Hulk and Skaar, The Hulk will probably be in one or both of the forthcoming Avengers films. Given his close relationship with Tony Stark, his meeting with Doctor Doom will be especially tragic.
It is impossible to exclude out Robert Downey Jr.'s reprising of Iron Man's part with his depiction as Doctor Doom. While Avengers: Secret Wars might see him play both roles, Apocalypse could concentrate on his metamorphosis into Victor von Doom. With Doctor Doom emerging triumphant in Doomsday and the heroes needing to gather a multiversal coalition to stop him in Secret Wars, the forthcoming films might reflect the framework of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Before the allegedly MCU relaunch, this might offer Robert Downey Jr. a last chance to return as Iron Man in a pivotal scene.
Another character who would be severely affected by the disclosure of Doctor Doom's actual name is Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's wife and the last person to talk to him before his death. Doctor Doom's arrival challenges Pepper's sincere goodbye to Tony in Avengers: Endgame and her later choice to quit the hero life. Driven by loss and a need to face the monster who reflects her late husband, Pepper has a fascinating potential to make an MCU comeback.
Captain America's comeback by Chris Evans appears unavoidable, maybe in Avengers: Secret Wars. Evans' performance as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine points to his openness to perhaps returning to the MCU in some fashion, despite his earlier denial. The sheer scope of Secret Wars, needing an assembly of multiverse heroes, might offer the ideal venue for Captain America and Doctor Doom to meet again. For viewers, their conflict—Captain America protecting the heroes against Doctor Doom—would be an exciting display.
Deeply affected by the death of his mentor, Tony Stark, Tom Holland's Spider-Man will probably experience a great emotional challenge seeing Doctor Doom. Their confrontation combined with the knowledge that Doctor Doom shares Iron Man's face would be a heartbreaking event in MCU history. Having seen Iron Man's sacrifice, Spider-Man will find great emotional weight in the knowledge that the villain he is confronting resembles the hero he lost exactly. For the youthful hero, their fights in Avengers: Armageddon and Secret Wars will be an emotional rollercoaster.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom visit promises to upend the MCU in ways we can only image. His emotional weight of his relationship to Iron Man combined with the possibility for multiverse catastrophe will produce a remarkable and powerful chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.