Ten Reasons Robert Downey Jr. Perfect For Doctor Doom For The MCU
Robert Downey Jr. is scheduled to portray Doctor Doom in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films; although the casting has been controversial, overall there are more favorable aspects than unfavorable ones. Having gained notoriety for launching the brand in 2008 with Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) is the MCU's biggest star. Marvel reportedly revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that Downey will play Doctor Doom in next MCU films, after apparently leaving the MCU behind with 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
The Movies in issue include Avengers: Doom from 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars from 2027. RDJ's Doctor Doom will apparently first show up in The Fantastic Four: First Steps in a mid/post-credits scene before them. With several variables making the principal villain of Avengers: Doomsday's cast among the most thrilling castings in MCU history, RDJ is a superb option to play Doctor Doom.
RDJ possess the star power to perform Doctor Doom.
Possibly the best villain in Marvel Comics is Doctor Doom. His entrance in the MCU is therefore quite important. Given past efforts that deviate from that and failed, only an actor of significant reputation would be a solid fit to portray Doctor Doom in live-action. Directors of Avengers: Valhalla and Secret Wars, the Russo Brothers, knew too well as they asserted on the SDCC stage that only the best actor in the world could portray Victor von Doom justice.
Among the most famous and successful movie stars worldwide is Downey Jr. Last solo film Tony Stark in the MCU, Iron Man 3 brought in $1.2 billion globally. In all four Avengers films, which have all above $1 billion, the actor was also a lead; the most recent two even passed $2 billion. Marvel has delivered to Doctor Doom what RDJ equals—box office success and popular appreciation.
Downey's Oppenheimer Role Made Victor von Doom Great
Downey seemed preparing for a significant career shift when he left the MCU with the Avengers: Endgame and Iron Man's death. Though he was just as outstanding, Downey started working on some major films toward projects that would garner him accolades for his acting, which was disregarded throughout his MCU years.
The film that turned things around for RDJ was Oppenheimer directed by Christopher Nolan. Downey's performance of Lewis Strauss in the film brought him multiple honors. With RDJ taking up the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his Oppenheimer performance, the trip came to a close and Downey became among the most gifted performers in the globe. As the actor portrayed an antagonist who loves to be considered as the brightest person in the room and does not like to be slighted, traits shared with Victor von Doom, RDJ's Oppenheimer character demonstrates he will perform wonderfully as Doctor Doom.
The face of the best MCU period is Robert Downey Jr.
The Multiverse Saga of the MCU has not been as popular as the Infinity Saga, as is hardly secret. A lot of that has to do with the MCU's Phase 4 practically matching the whole slate of Marvel Studios' Phases 1 through 3 resulting from the rise in projects on Disney+. With so many projects, the quality of many of them degraded; common problems including CGI appearing terrible, poor pacing, characters absent for years, narrative feeling hurried, and more.
Phase 4 of the MCU is clearly the most attacked in the franchise. Although Phase 5 has shown some dubious releases, thus far it has been better. Marvel is letting viewers know the studio wants to use what works to course-correct the franchise by bringing RDJ and the Russo Brothers back to the MCU. Downey's Doctor Doom excites several of the most adored MCU films and moments as well as the Infinity Saga.
RDJ Playing Doctor Doom Addresses The Multiverse Saga's Excitement
Only a few films in the Multiverse Saga really address the multiverse, and those have produced some of the best moments in the franchise. Marvel guarantees that the usage of the villain in the next years will be exactly connected to the universe in every sense by casting RDJ's Doctor Doom; Downey's Victor von Doom most likely represents a Tony Stark version of sorts.
The fact that Downey is behind the mask can create special events that would not be achievable with another actor as Doom when Avengers: Doomsday rolls around and the MCU assembles to defeat Doctor Doom. A meeting between characters like Tom Holland's Spider-Man or Don Cheadle's War Machine and RDJ's Doctor Doom would be really poignant. Every hero who connected with Tony Stark will have to accept the reality that the MCU's new major villain looks just like him, providing lots of narrative possibilities.
Downey Jr. Has Doctor Doom History.
While Downey debuted Iron Man in the hero's first solo film, RDJ could have starred another Marvel character years earlier. Downey entered the superhero genre with a bang. It so happened that the actor was cast as Doctor Doom in the 2005 Fantastic Four, the film which finally starred his future MCU co-star Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, sometimes known as the Human Torch.
Iron Man director Jon Favreau (via Variety) offered the narrative: Marvel already knew about Downey when he came in to discuss playing Tony Stark as he had earlier discussed Doctor Doom. Fascinatingly, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was among the 2000s Fantastic Four movie producers, thus he knew those discussions intimately. Feige was probably one among those who sensed the potential in RDJ to perform Doctor Doom; with the actor performing this now in the MCU, that can at last be realized.
RDJ As Doctor Doom Will Make People Forget Kang The Conqueror
Disney+'s Loki had set up Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror and variations to be the main Multiverse Saga menace. But once Majors left the MCU, Marvel seems to be looking for another means to cut off the Kang narrative before diving on RDJ's Doctor Doom, rather than recasting the part.
With the multiversal Council of Kangs destroyed by Downey's Doctor Doom either in The Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits scene or in the intro of Avengers: Valhalla, Kang the Conqueror could remain dead following Ant-Man and the Wasp, setting up the next major villain of the franchise. Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's most well-known villains, and Downey is the MCU's main actor; hence, that pairing helps viewers to forget about all the Kang setup the second Downey's Doom steps in the frame.
Robert Downey Jr. gave His Best MCU Performances Under The Russo Brothers
A recent analysis claims that Downey Jr.'s one requirement for his return to the MCU was that the Russo Brothers also returned to oversee the next two Avengers Movies. The directors have three times collaborated with Downey in the MCU. Working with RDJ as Iron Man in all but the first, the Russo Brothers oversaw Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame.
For the MCU, this team-up has produced amazing outcomes; so, Downey's comeback to the franchise as Doctor Doom is even more intriguing. Apart from being overall fantastic superhero films, the Russo Brothers' MCU appearances highlighted the best in RDJ's Iron Man. Tony Stark was instrumental in the movies; Captain America: Civil War is maybe the most complex performance from RDJ in the MCU. That suggests nicely for a dark and deep Doctor Doom from RDJ under the Russo Brothers.
RDJ As Doctor Doom Might Set Up An Iron Man Conflict
Even though Downey has been identified as Doctor Doom, his likelihood of returning as Iron Man looks really good now he is back in the MCU. Downey has discussed future Iron Man performance, with the actor now receptive to returning the part he loves following years away from Tony Stark. There are many possibilities in which the Multiverse Saga lets Downey play both Iron Man and Doctor Doom in one or both of the next two Avengers films.
Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027 represents the ideal situation for Downey's two MCU heroes to share the screen. Several MCU and multiverse figures should abound in the film. One of the multiverse heroes might thus be an Iron Man version portrayed by Downey. Played by RDJ, the first hero of the MCU and the new primary villain clashing blows would create one of the most memorable scenes in the franchise.
Perhaps just as good as Jonathan Majors' Kang Variants is RDJ's Parliament of Doom.
Although Doctor Doom and Kang the Conqueror are two quite different foes, the MCU might yet retain some of their original intentions for Jonathan Majors. One of such may be the concept of a multiverse team of variations of the primary villain emerging to confront the Avengers and other heroes in Avengers: Doomsday. The Council of Kangs might clear path for the Doom Parliament.
The Parliament of Doom is, as its name suggests, a multiverse team including Victor von Dooms from several worlds. RDJ could occupy the same role Majors did, playing several Doctor Doom variants in the MCU's Avengers movies, taking the fight to the heroes. Downey possesses the range to make each variant of Doctor Doom feel unique like Majors did with his multiverse versions of Kang, which would allow Marvel to keep that positive element of its plans going and let Downey run wild in the MCU.
Robert Downey Jr. Dominates a Crucial Doctor Doom Element
Finally, Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom could be great since the actor already knows how to use his voice to make a character pop. As Doom often wears his mask due to Victor's face being scarred, whoever plays him has to bring a lot of emotion with their voice. In the MCU, Downey played Iron Man, with Tony Stark often being behind his suit of armor.
Still, RDJ made Iron Man the MCU's most popular hero, infusing happiness, pain, sadness, and every other possible emotion in the character with his voice. As such, Downey's Doctor Doom will be an all-around compelling villain, with the actor having the skills to make Doctor Doom a fearful foe both with and without the mask. With a reported debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans should catch the first look at Downey's Doctor Doom in action next year.
