Robert Downey Jr’s Casting As Doctor Doom Sparks Backlash From Fans

Robert Downey Jr’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was inevitable, but Marvel fans were shocked to see the 59-year-old actor unveiled as the supervillain Doctor Doom.

Downey Jr’s casting was announced during San Diego’s Comic-Con on Saturday by MCU President Kevin Feige, who also announced the return of directing duo the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame), who are coming back to direct two more Avengers sequels, Secret Wars and Doomsday, with the latter to introduce Downey Jr’s Doom.

Who Is Doctor Doom?

Doctor Doom is the longtime adversary of the Fantastic Four, and is a complex, intimidating villain who boasts mastery over both magic and science. Doom hides his face behind a mask after his good looks were slightly scarred, and in some comic variations, deliberately scars himself.

Doom is considered to be one of the most iconic villains in Marvel history, and comic book fans have been waiting for the character to be introduced to the big screen.

MCU fans have also been waiting for the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, but the announcement of Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom took the fandom by surprise.

Like Tony Stark, Doom is an eccentric, charismatic genius with a huge ego, but the good Doctor is meant to be a unique individual, not just another version of Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr’s Casting As Doctor Doom Sparks Backlash

Somewhat confusingly, Downey Jr. is not playing Doom as a twisted multiverse variant of Tony Stark—he is Victor Von Doom, the comic-accurate character, a brand new addition to the MCU.

Online, fans reacted with bafflement and mockery.


Many expressed disappointment that Doom, a hugely popular villain, had seemingly been wasted over a casting gimmick.



Others jokingly predicted that Marvel’s version of the X-Men were going to be played by The Avengers.

One X (Twitter) user managed to “predict” Downey Jr. as Doom via a sarcastic post that was poking fun at Marvel’s desperate nostalgia; another commentator noted that even Reddit was unimpressed by the casting.

Kang Is Not Returning To The MCU

Talk soon turned to Kang, the multidimensional supervillain played by Jonathan Majors, who was dropped by Marvel Studios after being convicted of assault and harassment of his ex-girlfriend.

Kang was due to be the big bad of the next Avengers saga, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (which has since been scrapped).

Seeing as Kang was a master of the multiverse, composed of many different variants, fans were unsure if Marvel was going to recast the character.

The reveal of Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom made it clear that the MCU’s Kang was not coming back.

The surprise casting comes in the wake of Deadpool & Wolverine’s strong opening weekend and positive reaction from fans; the Marvel film pokes fun at unpopular MCU multiverse storylines and ironically mocks the idea of nostalgia casting, while boasting a solid performance from Hugh Jackman as a multiverse variant of Wolverine.

For Kevin Feige’s MCU, it appears that nostalgia is more than just a punchline; the glorious heights of the past seem to be the future for Marvel Studios.

Related Posts

BREAKING: Keanu Reeves Announces Retirement to Focus on Growing Family! Could This Be the End of John Wick?🍼🌟

In a shocking turn of events, Keanu Reeves, the beloved Hollywood icon known for his roles in The Matrix and John Wick, has announced his retirement from…

EXCLUSIVE: Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant’s Secret Wedding Guest List Revealed—Hollywood A-Listers Galore! 💍✨

Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant have been the talk of Hollywood since rumors of their engagement surfaced earlier this year, and now, we’ve got the inside scoop…

DRAMA ON THE LAKE: Keanu Reeves Fined for Fishing, Then Buys It and Transforms Everything!

In the summer of 2005, Keanu Reeves found himself in an unexpected predicament while filming The Lake House in the quiet suburb of Willow Springs, Illinois. The…

Thunderbolts* and Inside Out 2 Posters: A Hilarious Case of ‘Poster Twins’! 😂🎬

Alright, folks, let’s talk about something that’s got the internet chuckling—two movie posters that look like they went to the same design school and graduated with honors…

VOLTRON LIVE-ACTION FILM WITH HENRY CAVILL CONCLUDES SHOOTING—What Galactic Twist Awaits Us in This Epic Reboot?

After months of anticipation, the live-action Voltron movie, starring Henry Cavill, has officially wrapped filming in Australia as of late April 2025! Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber…

‘I CAN’T STAND HER!’ Black Snape Actor in Total Meltdown—Battling to Justify Role Amid Fierce Backlash!

Rising British actor Paapa Essiedu has spoken out emotionally after becoming the target of online racist backlash following the announcement that he would portray Severus Snape in the highly anticipated Harry Potter…