Fans worldwide were shocked when they heard the news of Robert Downey Jr. coming back to MCU as one of the worst villains in the universe. After Downey announced that he will be taking over as ‘Victor Von Doom‘ at the most recent San Diego Comic-Con, the speculation of his return with ‘Fantastic Four’ is now rife.
Downey Jr. has held Hollywood in its thrall for over 16 years — since, in fact, the actor’s debut in 2008’s ‘Iron Man‘. But how did Downey end up in the shoes of Dr. Doom? As it happens, the mastermind of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, was heavily involved in it.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Is Kevin Feige’s Master Plan
Robert Downey Jr. was originally interested in contributing to Disney theme parks. During an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, the Oscar-nominated actor opened up about how Kevin Feige managed to rope him back into the superhero universe.
It all started with a friendly sit-down between him, his wife Susan, and Feige, about a year ago. “He said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me, if you were to come back …'” the actor said of Feige. ‘”Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait. Come back as what?‘”
According to Downey, Feige wants to make sure they “continue to beat expectations” rather than “go backwards” or “disappoint expectations.”
“And he brought up Victor Von Doom,” he continued. “I looked into this character. Later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.'”
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Robert Downey Jr. Opens Up About His Fear Of Rejoining The MCU
While Robert Downey Jr. was intrigued, he wasn’t about to dive in headfirst without a little more assurance. So, he decided to set up a meeting with none other than Bob Iger. The result? A resounding “yes” from Iger, who then took Downey and Feige on a tour of Disney’s Imagineering Campus.
This visit seemed to seal the deal for Downey, who was left in awe. “You want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time,” he quipped.
There’s a lot riding on this role, especially given Doom’s critical role in the upcoming ‘Avengers‘ films. Downey acknowledged the challenge, stating, “New mask, same task. What can I say, I like playing complicated characters.”
‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars‘ will be releasing on May 1, 2026 and May 7, 2027 respectively.
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