Fans Are Confused About Robert Downey Jr.’s Return to Marvel
By Angela Yang
Years after his final appearance as Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. is set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Doctor Doom in the upcoming “Avengers” movies.
Tony Stark died a hero, but Robert Downey Jr. has returned as a villain.
In 2019, it seemed like Downey had concluded his Marvel journey after Iron Man sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos in “Avengers: Endgame.” However, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige shocked fans at San Diego Comic-Con by announcing Downey’s return, this time as the infamous Doctor Doom.
Downey unveiled himself on stage, removing his mask to the delight of the crowd, and later posted, “New mask, same task,” on social media.
Doctor Doom, one of Marvel’s most notorious villains, is set to appear in “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” This casting choice has left many fans puzzled. Some speculate that Downey will play a multiverse variant of Stark who becomes Doctor Doom, while others believe he will portray Doom with no connection to Iron Man. Given Doctor Doom’s masked appearance, Downey’s role may primarily involve voice work.
Even Gwyneth Paltrow, who played Pepper Potts in the “Iron Man” series, expressed her surprise on Downey’s Instagram post, commenting, “I don’t get it, are you a baddie now?”
The internet quickly reacted with memes, teasing Downey for returning to the MCU after winning his first Oscar for “Oppenheimer.” Some fans joked about the substantial paycheck he must have received to come back, while others criticized the casting as “fan service” and argued that a new actor should have been chosen.
Some fans see this move as a “desperate” attempt by Marvel to recover from recent box office disappointments, such as “Captain Marvel” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” despite the recent success of “Deadpool & Wolverine.” However, many are simply excited to see Downey back in the MCU, regardless of the role.
Downey’s new role seems to replace that of Kang the Conqueror, originally announced as the focus of the next “Avengers” movie, “The Kang Dynasty.” This movie has since been rebranded as “Doomsday” following Marvel’s decision to cut ties with Kang actor Jonathan Majors after his conviction for assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend.
