To borrow a line from a comic book competitor, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Marvel favourite and recent Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr. is making his way back to the multiverse, albeit in a surprising new guise. The Iron Man actor has sent shockwaves through superhero fandoms by confirming his casting as Doctor Doom, one of Marvel’s most enigmatic and powerful villains. Downey Jr. is set to don the infamous metal mask in the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday, but his Marvel return has been met with mixed reactions.
Robert Downey Jr. Cast as Doctor Doom
During the San Diego Comic-Con Hall H panel, the Russo brothers, directors of Avengers: Doomsday, spoke candidly about the new film and explained their goal of bringing Doctor Doom to life on screen. The filmmakers, who previously directed Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War, described the challenges of finding an actor who embodied the wit and intellect of Dr. Victor von Doom, a character revered for his grasp on sorcery and science.
“If we’re going to bring Victor Von Doom to the screen — he is one of the more complex characters in all of comics … this is potentially one of the more entertaining characters in all of fiction,” said Joe Russo. “If we’re going to do this … then we are going to need the greatest actor in the world.”
As the pair spoke, a sea of hooded figures wearing masks of the iconic comic book villain gathered around them on stage, among them – an anonymous Downey Jr. With the music building, he stepped forward, removed his disguise and triumphantly raised both arms by his side—a pose made famous by his on-screen counterpart Tony Stark.
The reaction in the room was elation, with the crowd at the San Diego Comic-Con erupting in a chorus of cheers. Outside of the arena, however, questions were being raised. Namely, how does an actor best known for playing one of the Avengers suddenly slip into the role of the Avengers’ villain?
Iron Man Returns
For Marvel, the world’s biggest entertainment franchise, adding Robert Downey Jr. to the mix feels like a surefire way to leverage past successes. The Iron Man star was pivotal in creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a sub-franchise that introduced fans to cross-over plot elements, characters, and themes, generating billions of dollars in revenue in the process.
Instalments such as Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: Civil War were critically acclaimed, and the performances held up as the pinnacle of modern superhero acting, with Downey Jr. particularly lauded for his stunning encapsulation of the billionaire playboy turned vigilante.
As The Hollywood Reporter‘s Borys Kit, Aaron Couch and Ryan Gajewski rightly pointed out, however, it’s been a challenge for Marvel to find a protagonist to replace the large hole left by Downey post-Endgame. So rather than try to find one, the entertainment giant has simply decided to rinse and repeat.
While some have praised the decision, many on social media have labelled the casting a desperate attempt to clutch to relevancy. Reddit users suggested that Disney sees Downey Jr. as a ‘Golden Goose’, with this casting allowing them to leverage his star power without tarnishing his Iron Man legacy. Or at least, that’s the plan.
Marvel’s Doom Slide
In recent years, Marvel has failed to live up to expectations with a slew of misfires hitting the franchise hard. Taika Waititi’s long-awaited Thor: Love and Thunder scored just 63 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania fared worse at 48 per cent, while the Brie Larson-helmed cross-over The Marvels had the worst box office debut for any MCU film in history.
Outgoing Disney CEO Bob Iger blamed the latter’s failure on COVID, claiming that there “wasn’t as much supervision on the set, so to speak, where we have executives (that are) really looking over what’s being done day after day after day”. While that may well have been true, the film’s lacklustre performance spoke to a deeper problem: superhero fatigue.
Superhero Fatigue
With the finalisation of Endgame, the last great Marvel flick, the burden of carrying the franchise moved from top-tier favourites like Iron Man and Captain America to lesser-known characters such as Kingo and She-Hulk. The transition hasn’t been smooth.
Controversy surrounding new star Jonathan Majors put a sharp halt to the Kang universe, while a very public spat between Marvel-owner The Walt Disney Company and its visual effects crew has made post-pandemic production even more challenging. In 2023, crew members voted to unionise following allegations of lack of pay equity, protected hours, and fair turnaround times, putting the organisation under pressure to perform.
In response, Marvel has unsurprisingly returned to its mainstays, with the release of the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman romp Deadpool & Wolverine marking a welcomed return to form. The latest instalment in the R-rated fourth-wall-breaking franchise shattered expectations, nabbing a reported USD$205 million at the U.S. box office on opening weekend. Hot on the heels of that success story, Marvel is hoping to repeat the process, reintroducing fan favourite Downey Jr. to the fold.
Multiverse of Sadness
Admittedly, there is a world where Downey Jr. nails his portrayal of Doctor Doom, providing fans with a new look at one of Marvel’s most intriguing villains, but it would require a lot of hoop-jumping. He could, as the comics suggest, keep his helmet on the entire time so as to not confuse fans, but why bother getting Downey Jr. at all?
All signs seem to indicate that this version of Doctor Doom will be a Tony Stark variant, wise from decades spent traversing the multiverse and ready to save humanity from itself, but is the answer to Marvel’s downward spiral really more multiverse storylines?
Marvel is at a crossroads – its best-laid plans have come undone and the organisation appears to be devoid of new ideas. A returning star, returning directors and a return to regular programming might wind up being a win, but at the moment, it doesn’t look great for the world’s biggest entertainment franchise. In fact, it feels slightly ironic.
For the casting of a character capable of seeing multiple timelines at once, it seems Marvel is pinning all hopes on ours being one where Robert Downey Jr. can, once again, save the day. Perhaps, as Ryan Reynolds quipped in the latest flick, Marvel really does have you until you’re 90.
