Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom is huge, but it does raise concerns about how it may conflict with Tony Stark’s ultimate sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame and why he is coming back at all. RDJ was the face of the MCU ever since he starred in Iron Man in 2008. The actor, who had experienced some challenging times in his career and was steadily working his way back up the ladder, was a considerable risk for Marvel at the time, but, it became immediately obvious that he was the right man for the job.
From 2008 to 2019, he appeared in 11 of the MCU movies, which was exactly half of every release up to Avengers: Endgame, the twenty-second film in the MCU. His performance as Tony Stark echoed the growth and changes in the films, and RDJ’s star rose to incredible new heights in Hollywood. But now, several years after Stark’s story came to an end, and the hero laid down his life for the benefit of the entire universe, RDJ returns in a very different role as the MCU’s potential greatest villain to date, Victor von Doom.
Marvel Is Trying To Win Back Fans After Several Disappointments
Could RDJ’s Familiar Face Beat Superhero Fatigue?
Speculation with regard to why Marvel Studios has chosen to bring RDJ back is high, but there are several factors that indicate the thought process behind the choice. For instance, since Avengers: Endgame, the MCU box office has taken a serious dive. With COVID creating a challenging environment for new theatrical releases, Endgame became the last great MCU movie that had the full support of fans behind it, amassing nearly $3 billion at the box office.
Since then, there have been incredibly successful films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, but by and large, many of the recent MCU releases have failed to exceed $500 million, when the movies in Phase 3 almost never went below $800 million, while many crossed the billion dollar threshold (via The Numbers). In addition to poor financial returns, the most recent MCU films have been widely divisive with critics, or garnered generally negative reviews, like Secret Invasion on Disney+ or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Several Marvel Studios projects have also been victims of review bombing, particularly projects which prominently feature women of POC. This has resulted in great projects failing to get traction in theaters, but after releasing on Disney+, the projects have been reviewed more widely and favorably.
Marvel Has Had Massive Success With Legacy Actor Returns
Nostalgia In Superhero Movies
In the face of these films and TV shows performing poorly, there have also been several big wins for the MCU after Endgame, with one aspect in common. Movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home, and more recently, Deadpool & Wolverine were generally praised by audiences, and have managed to become incredibly successful. But what these movies have in common is that they brought back legacy characters from older Marvel projects. Not only did they bring back fan favorite characters, but they made them integral parts of the story, far beyond a regular cameo.
While bringing characters back from old franchises is certainly a form of fan service, Marvel Studios has handled it extemely well, and created films that people thoroughly enjoy more because of their connection to the past. As a result, it’s easy to see why Marvel may be thinking pulling an old fan favorite actor like RDJ back in will be a good way to revive the MCU. But it works better to do more than simply have them pop up in the background with minimal dialogue. These beloved figures can be utilized and take on bigger roles in the movies where they appear.
Robert Downey Jr. Is A Perfect Fit For The Character Of Doctor Doom
RDJ Is A Versatile And Talented Actor
RDJ is the perfect Tony Stark. In much the same way that fans associate Hugh Jackman with Wolverine, and Ryan Reynolds with Deadpool, RDJ was perfectly cast. However, as an actor, his versatility and talent extends beyond simply playing one character. RDJ has more recently appeared in films like Oppenheimer, where he won an Oscar for his performance as the antagonistic Lewis Strauss. In the past, he has exemplified his talents across a variety of roles, and he is more than capable of tackling a villain like Doctor Doom.
Beyond his other work, and his versatility, RDJ is an incredible choice to tackle the role of Doctor Doom in the MCU. In the comics, Victor von Doom has a god complex, extraordinary pride which causes him to constantly conceal his face after a scar disrupts his concept of perfection, and he is one of the most brilliant minds in all of Marvel history with intelligence that extends above and beyond Tony Stark’s. RDJ already showcased these traits in his performance as Stark, but in order to tackle Doom, all of this needs to be amplified, and his path to righteousness negated.
Robert Downey Jr. Appearing As Doctor Doom Doesn’t Ruin Iron Man’s Endgame Death
The Multiverse Saga Has Been All About Coming Full Circle
While Tony Stark became the hero who saved the MCU, Doom is poised to be the villain who dismantles it. And it could appear that casting RDJ in both roles would diminish either or both of these characters, but in the Multiverse Saga, where variants are beginning to appear across different dimensions, it instead makes this casting into a full circle moment. Tony Stark hid behind a mask out of fear, desperately wanting to right wrongs and become a hero, and it’s fitting that when he died, he did so without his mask.
Doom needs to follow a path that is almost the opposite. Starting out with extraordinary confidence and ambition, but that same ambition changing shape as his scarred visage and mind warp him into something that hides behind his mask. He remains as brilliant as ever, but instead of using his intelligence for the benefit of others, it becomes entirely selfish. Both of these stories follow a similar path, but the characters move in opposite directions. As a result, this could further cement Stark’s sacrifice from Avengers: Endgame, while simultaneously raising the stakes for Victor von Doom.
