Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Deadpool & Wolverine
Summary
Marvel Studios chose to shock its entire audience at San Diego Comic-Con (and the world) with the reveal that Iron Man actorRobert Downey Jr.is set to return to the MCU…asDoctor Doom. Pivoting from what was onceAvengers: The Kang Dynasty, the fifth major crossover movie from Marvel will now be titledAvengers: Doomsdaywith a major focus on classic villain Victor von Doom. However, one has to wonder how in the world it’s going to work to have RDJ play one of Marvel’s biggest villains when he’s already been one of the MCU’s biggest heroes of all time.
Following the equally huge confirmation that the Russo Brothers were indeed coming to directAvengers 5andAvengers: Secret Wars,the fifthAvengersmovie got its official retitlewith the reveal that Doctor Doom would be a major focal point ahead ofSecret Wars. However, very few could have predicted that the seemingly outlandish and recent rumors about Robert Downey Jr. playing the villain were actually true.Now, it’s time to think about the many ways in which RDJ will return as Doctor Doom in the MCU’s near future.
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The MCU’s Multiverse Saga Makes A Tony Stark Variant Possible For RDJ’s Doctor Doom Return
Endless Realities Of Possibility
Firstly, the MCU is currently amid its ongoing Multiverse Saga. As such,the concepts of multiple variants of heroes and villains from other realities, timelines, and dimensions have well and truly been established at this point. The MCU’s Peter Parker got to meet and fight alongside the different versions of Spider-Man who came from past Sony franchises. Loki got to track down and meet his own variants across timelines.A Council of Kangswasassembling.
That said,there’s never been a bigger use of the multiverse when it comes to casting than now with RDJ as the new Doctor Doom.As said by the Russo Brothers at SDCC’s Hall H in front of a legion of costumed and masked Doctor Dooms:“As proof of the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multiverse, we give you the one person who could play Victor von Doom.”, right before RDJ stepped forward and took off his mask. The multiverse makes it so with several exciting avenues to make it happen, with many centering around the MCU’s Doctor Doom being a darker variant of Tony Stark.
The Fantastic Four’s Alternate Universe Setting Makes An Iron Man Variant More Possible
A Reality Where Tony Stark Goes Dark Next To Reed Richards
While Doctor Doom is a major threat to several heroes in the Marvel Universe, he’s first and foremost an arch-rival toThe Fantastic Four and the true nemesis of Reed Richards' Mister Fantastic. To that end,the fact that it’s already been confirmed thatThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsis set in an alternate retro-futuristic reality apart from the main MCU does help in terms of RDJ’s likely having been cast as a darker Iron Man variant who becomes Doomin this timeline. After all, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine a version of Tony Stark whose ego gets the better of him in the face of Reed Richards, the World’s Smartest Man.
At any rate, the hope would be that RDJ’s Doom will start in this alt-reality as a villain to Marvel’s First Family before potentially becoming his far more powerful “God Emperor” self as seen in the comics’Secret Warsevent from 2015. To that end,Doom having appearances in 2025’sFantastic FourandAvengers: Doomsdayahead ofSecret Warswill hopefully provide the MCU with enough time for audiences to truly get to know who this version of Doom isand what he’s all about before stakes likely get massively raised with theMultiverse Saga-endingSecret Wars.
Chris Evans' MCU Return Shows Another Potential Path For Robert Downey Jr’s MCU Comeback
Just Keeping It Meta
It’s also worth noting that Captain America/Steve Rogers actorChris Evans just made his MCU return inDeadpool & Wolverine. However, rather than playing Steve Rogers once more, Evans reprised his pre-MCU superhero role as Johnny Storm’s Human Torch. However, there were only some meta nods to Captain America as a means to set up the twist that Evans was playing Johnny and not Rogers.
This could certainly be a way in which Robert Downey Jr. can play Doctor Doom, with only meta acknowledgments to his past role as Iron Man rather than having it be a plot point or issue in-universewithin the narrative. That said, Doctor Doom being a dark variant of Tony Stark could end up being a major part of his character as mentioned above, rather than being a more traditional Victor von Doom who’s simply played by the same actor who brought Iron Man to life. However, it certainly seems as though the reasoning for Robert Downey Jr’s casting is the former based on the Russos' wording at SDCC.
Doctor Doom Being An Iron Man Variant Isn’t The Only Way His MCU Return Could Work
Always Wearing A Mask Helps A Lot
A Tony Stark variant that became Doctor Doom is incredibly intriguing and exciting for the future of the MCU. It also carries some connections to the original comics whenVictor von Doom briefly took on the Iron Man mantlewhile Tony Stark was in a coma followingSecret WarsandCivil War II, becoming the “Infamous Iron Man”. However, the MCU’s Doom doesn’t necessarily have to be a variant of Stark just because Robert Downey Jr. is playing him (though it is highly likely).
Seeing as how the classic Marvel villain perpetually wears a metal mask to cover his scarred face, it wouldn’t be hard for Downey Jr. to simply portray a legitimate Victor von Doom. Keeping that in mind,perhaps Marvel Studios simply sees value in one of Hollywood’s biggest and most accomplished actors taking on the role of one of the Marvel Universe’s biggest and most important villains. After all, he’s already proven himself by playing one of the MCU’s biggest and most important heroes (“New mask, same task”.)
