Robert Downey Jr’s Marvel return explained: How Doomsday can save the MCU

Somehow, Robert Downey Jr returned… and he’s bringing a whole world of Doom with him.

Marvel brought the house down in Hall H, dropping the biggest SDCC announcement imaginable by revealing the MCU’s new big bad.

The Multiverse Saga is taking a diversion, and all roads lead to Avengers Doomsday. Kang is out, Doctor Doom is in, and Downey Jr – the man who made the MCU what it is today, playing Tony Stark – is turning to the dark side.

So, how did this huge course correction occur? What does it mean for Marvel’s Phase 6? And why is Downey Jr taking such a big risk like this?

The big announcement

On July 27, 2024, the Russo Brothers shared the news that Avengers 5 would feature Victor Von Doom. Surrounded by an army of folk dressed up as the Marvel villain, they revealed only one person could play the role… and out stepped Downey Jr.

Joe Russo said: “As proof of the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multiverse, we give you the one person who could play Victor Von Doom.”

Downey Jr then removed his Doom mask, threw his arms out – bringing back memories of Stark’s missile display in Iron Man – and lapped up the hoots and hollers of the crowd at San Diego Comic-Con.

It remains to be seen when Downey Jr’s debut will be. He could potentially drop in for some cameos in upcoming Marvel movies and their post-credits scenes. All we know for sure is he will be a huge part of Doomsday and the subsequent Secret Wars.

Why has Marvel done this?

The short answer is, Jonathan Majors was found guilty of assault and harassment, meaning Marvel either had to recast Kang or find a new villain. They went with the latter, and that’s where Doom and Downey Jr come in.

Marvel Comics

You could argue the easier option would have been to find a new actor to play Kang. With previous movies (and the Loki TV series) building towards the Kang Dynasty arc, it’s a big risk for Marvel to drop that now.

Not to mention the fact introducing Downey Jr Doom is going to cost roughly $80 million. That huge payday is great for the actor, but it’s a massive outlay for the studio.

That said, the MCU has suffered commercial and critical blows of late (Deadpool & Wolverine aside). Marvel absolutely needs to stick the landing for the next big Avengers double bill. What better way to guarantee that than to bring back one of the most iconic actors in the world?

Robert Downey Jr. is a Marvel god

Many people have branded Downey Jr Doom a cash grab move from the actor, but there’s likely more to it. He’s adored by the Marvel fanbase, and that kind of connection can be hard to leave behind.

SDCC/Marvel

You only have to look at the reaction from the SDCC crowd to see how important RDJ is to the MCU. He was there from the start, giving so much to fans with his fun, thrilling interpretation of Tony Stark. And, he brought it all full circle with an incredibly emotional death in Endgame.

But, the franchise also gave so much to him, too. After a tumultuous time in the ’90s that saw the actor arrested for possession of drugs, a firearm, and driving offences, Downey Jr’s career looked over.

He managed to get himself clean and on the straight and narrow, though. And, after slowly making his comeback, the MCU launched his career (and his bank balance) into the stratosphere.

Kevin Feige even admitted hiring RDJ as Iron Man was a big risk. It’s safe to say that risk certainly paid off, and then some.

So yes, money is nice. I’m sure the frankly ludicrous salary Marvel offered Downey Jr made his decision to return very easy. Still, we should not ignore the fact that he is also going back to a franchise that gave him more than a decade of love, respect, and, ultimately, a legacy that’ll last a lifetime.

How will his version of Doom work?

There are two ways Marvel can play this. Either Downey Jr will play a straight-up Doctor Doom with no connection to Tony Stark, or he will play an evil variant of Stark who has turned mad with power. The latter is definitely the most likely route.

Marvel comics

One theory is that similar to the story in Deadpool & Wolverine, the Avengers will need to find a variant of Stark to save their timeline. Many suspect Stark was the Anchor Being of the MCU’s Earth-616, and with him gone, the sacred timeline is in peril.

So, scouring the multiverse, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes find a suitable match, but soon realize he is not what they thought. He may look like Tony Stark, but this new version would actually be a villain, having taken on the Doctor Doom alias.

This would then see the Avengers battling Doom to save the entire multiverse, and they’d probably need some help from the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and a few other familiar faces. This would largely fall in line with the Secret Wars comic book arc of 2015, with a few modifications.

Many have suggested the Infamous Iron Man comic book arc will act as inspiration for Doomsday. It might, but not as heavily as some have predicted. That story sees Victor Von Doom wrestling with redemption and taking on the mantle of Iron Man, so it’s pretty much the exact opposite of what Marvel needs now.

Still, we expect the suit from that comic book (see above) to be utilized in some way before Doom gets his more traditional armor in Secret Wars.

Alternatively, the whole universe could just pretend Doctor Doom doesn’t look like Tony Stark at all. That would be a little odd but not impossible.

We’ll learn more about Downey Jr Doom as time goes by. It’s going to be a long two years, but we’ll get there! Until then, dive into what we know about The Fantastic Four release date, the X-Men movies timeline, and Captain America 4.