EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesAvengers: DoomsdayRobert Downey Jr.’s Avengers return doesn’t spell doom for the MCU – but it sure feels riskyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesAvengers: DoomsdayRobert Downey Jr.’s Avengers return doesn’t spell doom for the MCU – but it sure feels riskyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Somehow,Robert Downey Jr. has returned. But what should have been a moment of triumph and elation atMarvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panelquickly turned into a social media tapestry of quizzical looks, raised eyebrows, and a general feeling that the MCU just jumped the multiversal shark.
Worse still, the Iron Man-turned-Doctor Doom actor announced hisAvengers: Doomsdaybow in Hall H off the back of a movie inDeadpool and Wolverinethat gently poked fun at the redundancy of the multiverse and its endless recycling of variants and actors. In short, it was the right man at the wrong time.
Let’s be clear up front: Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback isn’t a disaster. The social media metrics and mainstream attention it generated alone certainly righted the ship in the eyes of the general fanbase who weredesperatefor an MCU focal point in the wake of the Kang fallout andthe removal of Jonathan Majors.
But, for once, this feels less like a surefire success and more like a desperate last-gasp gamble to claw back the sort of goodwill that has dissipated acrossMarvel Studios’ recent efforts in Phases 4 and 5. Doctor Doom certainly won’t doom the MCU – but it could be the beginning of a very prosperous end.
Why? The reasons are many, but each ultimately boils down to the Robert Downey Jr. of it all.
The core concept of introducing Doctor Doom – an iconicFantastic Fourvillain – as an Avengers-level threat works on so many levels. But introducing him as either a Tony Stark variant or someone who justhappensto look like Robert Downey Jr. is a Galactus-sized misstep that, at best, is slightly confusing. At worst, it’s the sort of nostalgia pandering that Deadpool spent two hours unravelling in suitably meta fashion. When a significant piece casting resembles a cut joke from scenes in The Void, it’s probably best to wonder how we all got here.
A Stark reminder
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
In fact, let’s do that. Robert Downey Jr’s final MCU appearance to date was Tony Stark’s iconic death inAvengers: Endgame. You know, the one that still gets you choked up now.
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A genuine generation-defining moment that cemented Iron Man’s place in pop culture folklore for decades to come, ‘The Snap’ was a touching and heartfelt bow to both character’s arc and over a decade of Marvel storytelling. Better yet, it was definitive – a rarity in the world of comic books and comic book movies alike.
On top of that, having RDJ play Doctor Doom diminishes the history of the character slightly. Right off the bat, he loses a little of the personal connection and rivalry with Reed Richards, though any scenes shared with Mister Fantastic actor Pedro Pascal will surely break the internet regardless. Meanwhile, a Spider-Man/Doctor Doom dynamic – given the link between Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Tony Stark – will probably take precedence over everything else. Try as Kevin Feige might, many will see Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr., not Doctor Doom – even if he keeps the mask on (and there’sreportedly 80 million reasons why he won’t).
I am Doom
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
Marvel also keeps returning to familiar faces as a safety net. At some point, they’ll have to break free from that cycle – even if their attempts to build up a new generation with Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, and Ms. Marvel have been admirable. If Marvel is going for a big reaction in the cinema and the logical end point of the multiverse’s tendency for remixes, an evil Tony Stark or another variant entirely would have been a fun twist on an established character without painting over a new one.
For more on the MCU, check out our guides onupcoming Marvel moviesand how to watch theMarvel movies in order. Then dive into our theories onhow Robert Downey Jr. could go from Iron Man to Doctor Doom.
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Spider-Man 4 may include a Marvel heroine although Sony cannot confirm it will be Anya Taylor-Joy as Black Cat, says boss: “There’s a lot of fantastic female characters, but I can’t talk about all this”
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