At last year's San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios shocked the world by announcing that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
The actor was one of Marvel Studios' biggest box office draws as Iron Man, and with the franchise struggling since Avengers: Endgame's release in 2019, those movies could do with all the help they can get.
Talking to Omelete, the Russo Brothers confirmed that Downey was attached to play Doom before they agreed to return. "That was Kevin [Feige], and interesting enough about that was, that conversation was had a while ago," Joe confirmed. "And then Robert tried to talk us into doing it, and we said 'no,' weirdly because we said we wouldn't come back."
Admitting that they "were resistant for a while" due to not "[having] a way in," he added, "One day, Steve McFeely, one of our key collaborators, said: 'I have an idea.' He called us, and we went, 'That's the story, that story has to be told. It's a really powerful story.'"
It seems the biggest draw of that story is Doom himself as the filmmaker went on to say, "We love villains who think they are the heroes of their own stories...that's when they become three-dimensional and when they become more interesting."
Thanos only had a few minutes of screentime before taking centre stage in Avengers: Infinity War, but Doom hasn't even been hinted at before now. A post-credits scene appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems likely, but for the Russos, "a lot of [their] focus is going" towards making Victor a compelling antagonist.
"When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a well-shaped, three-dimensional character for the audience," Joe teased.
The Electric State hasn't been receiving positive reviews since launching on Netflix last week and, ahead of their MCU return, the directors have also come under fire for what some deem a controversial take on AI usage in movies.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Anthony called it a "valuable tool," leading to concerns AI might be used in the next Avengers movies.
"We have to approach AI the same way we approach all technological innovations," he said. "It’s potentially a valuable tool, but it’s the kind of tool that artists always have to remain in control of, but there’s going to be some valuable role in the creative process and the filmmaking process."
In a separate conversation with The Times, Joe Russo confirmed they used AI for voice modulation on The Electric State, and shared, "There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid. They don’t understand. But ultimately you’ll see AI used more significantly."
Downey is no fan of AI, so chances are it won't play a significant role in the production of either Doomsday or Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has also faced backlash when it was utilised for Secret Invasion's opening credits, so many want to avoid repeating that mistake.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released in May 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive in May 2027.