Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as the MCU's Doctor Doom for Avengers: Doomsday, and it might be Marvel Studios' biggest mistake yet.
After firing Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror due to the abuse charges raised against him, Marvel Studios was forced to change course for Avengers 5, abandoning The Kang Dynasty in favor of Doomsday.
This will position Doctor Doom to replace Kang as the main villain of the Multiverse Saga, antagonizing Earth's Mightiest Heroes across Doomsday and Secret Wars.
The directors behind Avengers 5 and 6, the Russo Brothers, announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Victor von Doom will be played by Robert Downey Jr., controversially taking on his second MCU role after leaving Iron Man behind.
5 Reasons Robert Downey Jr. SHOULDN'T Play Doctor Doom
Tying Doctor Doom to Iron Man
Regardless of how much Marvel Studios will try to make clear Victor von Doom is not just "evil Iron Man," his bearing the face of the iconic Tony Stark is bound to form that link in the eyes of moviegoers.
Some theorized Doctor Doom would not be the familiar Victor von Doom but an alternate Tony Stark who took a villainous path. But the Russo Brothers seemingly shut that down at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 when they introduced Robert Downey Jr. as "the one man who could play Victor von Doom."
As Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four finally arrive in the MCU, many were eager to see a faithful adaptation this time around. But in casting Downey Jr. and tying the Latverian ruler to Iron Man, Marvel Studios is inherently changing the character and his portrayal in a major way.
Limiting Doctor Doom's Future
Robert Downey Jr. has famously become an expensive actor since his days as Iron Man, taking home a reported $75 million for Avengers: Endgame. And, according to Variety, will take home "significantly more" than $80 million to lead the way in Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Due to the expensive price tag to bring in Downey Jr., Marvel Studios is unlikely to bring Doctor Doom back much after Secret Wars.
Despite being one of the most important Marvel villains, there is every chance fans will only get two major appearances from Doctor Doom in the MCU across the next two Avengers movies before he is gone for good.
Losing Doom's Fantastic Four Connections
While Doctor Doom is a powerful enough threat to antagonize the whole Marvel universe, Victor von Doom is, first and foremost, a Fantastic Four villain with an infamous rivalry with Reed Richards.
In linking Doom to Tony Stark, Marvel Studios is laying the course to focus more on him fighting with characters who were close with Iron Man - such as Spider-Man, War Machine, and the original Avengers - instead of Richards (read more about the Doomsday cast here).
As Doom bears the face of Stark, he will almost certainly hail from an alternate universe, presumably the same world that will debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps from which that team will hail.
There's every chance Downey Jr. has a minor role in The Fantastic Four, but there almost certainly won't be time to develop him and his relationships with Marvel's First Family in any meaningful way.
Doctor Doom's Romani Origins Abandoned
In Marvel Comics, Victor von Doom was born in Latveria to a tribe of Romani people and, as such, many are eager to see a Romani actor take on the role.
Doctor Doom has been adapted twice before in live-action where he was played by Julian McMahon and Toby Kebbell, neither of which are Romani. And, once more, Marvel has opted against a Romani actor in choosing Robert Downey Jr.
It is unclear whether the MCU's Doctor Doom will still hail from Latveria or explore his Romani origins. But the hiring of an American actor in Downey Jr. certainly does not bode well for such origins to be represented meaningfully.
The Robert Downey Jr. Gimmick
Obviously, in casting Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Marvel Studios was looking for a gimmick to reinvigorate interest in the Multiverse Saga and shock fans with a viral casting announcement at San Diego Comic-Con.
As such, it raises concern that Downey Jr. was cast less for his ability to accurately bring Doctor Doom to screens, and more for the fanfare and box office results that would come with his return to the MCU.
Only time will tell how Downey Jr. pulls off the role, but it could indicate Marvel Studios did not exactly take the time to find the right fit for Victor von Doom.
The Positives of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom Casting
While casting Robert Downey Jr. certainly has plenty of negatives that could result in Marvel Studios' biggest casting mistake yet, there are some positives, especially for more casual audiences.
For one, the casual audiences who make up the bulk of moviegoers have little knowledge of Doctor Doom's origins and what is being ignored from the comics in favor of this original storyline.
As such, for those audiences, most will simply be excited to see Downey Jr. back in the MCU once more for a throwback to the Infinity Saga. Many of them will be intrigued by tying the next Avengers movies back to Iron Man, as the founding Avenger still stands among the MCU's most beloved heroes.
While this may not be the Doctor Doom story many were hoping to see, the concept has the potential to thrive. The emotional links between Tony Stark and much of the MCU could lead to some powerful character moments, as Earth's Mightiest Heroes face off with a man bearing the face of a fallen friend.
And with all the powerful emotion that will come with that, Downey Jr. certainly has the talent to bring that to life. He recently became an Oscar winner after taking home the "Best Supporting Actor" prize for his place in the cast of Oppenheimer.
After losing Jonathan Majors and Kang the Conqueror, Marvel Studios needed one face to carry and lead these ensembles to match the success of Infinity War and Endgame. Having proven he can do that with the last Avengers movies, Downey Jr. is a safe bet to do that once more, this time on the villainous side.
Not to mention, after Secret Wars, Marvel Studios could still introduce another Doctor Doom played by another actor. Perhaps, after the chaos caused by this alternate universe version, Reed Richards will track down and take interest in the Doom of Earth-616 to ensure history cannot repeat itself.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars set to follow on May 7, 2027.
