AVENGERS: Robert Downey Jr. Breaks Silence On MCU Return As Doctor Doom; Confirms He's Playing Victor Von Doom

AVENGERS: Robert Downey Jr. Breaks Silence On MCU Return As Doctor Doom; Confirms He's Playing Victor Von Doom

Robert Downey Jr. has broken his silence on playing the MCU's Doctor Doom, confirming he is indeed playing Victor Von Doom rather than a Tony Stark Variant. You can hear more from the actor right here...

By JoshWilding - Aug 20, 2024 04:08 PM EST
Filed Under: Avengers: Doomsday
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

At last month's San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios welcomed the Russo Brothers back to the MCU as the directors of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars

However, the biggest surprise was saved for last with the introduction of Robert Downey Jr. as the Multiverse Saga's new big bad, Doctor Doom.

The Oscar-winner spent over a decade playing Iron Man, so the fact he's returning to Marvel as that iconic villain was definitely unexpected. Unfortunately, much of the excitement has been dampened by concerns from fans he'll be playing an evil Tony Stark Variant in Doom's armour. 

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Downey broke his silence on being cast as Doom while addressing his role as Iron Man in Disneyland's upcoming "Stark Flight Lab" ride. He also confirmed that he's playing Victor Von Doom while discussing Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's eagerness to do right by the character. 

"So, probably a year ago...cause, you know, [Kevin] Feige and I have kept in touch. We're pals. Favreau, Feige, and I have kept in touch. I'm close with the Russo Brothers; we have other business we're doing. So, there's this little group of fellow travellers and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger and I had an idea outside of the Cinematic Universe for how I could be of service to what's going on in the Parks and all their location-based entertainment."

"Susan and I were sitting down with Feige at one point and he said, 'It just keeps occurring to me that if you were to come back...' and Susan was like, 'Wait, wait, come back as what?' Then we both realised over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy, a very sophisticated creative thinker, about how can we not go backwards, how can we not disappoint expectations, how we can continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked up this character and I was like, 'Wow.' Later, Kevin goes, 'Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let's get that right.'"

"So then I said to Kevin, 'Can I go talk to Bob Iger?' He goes, 'About?' I go, 'About everything. I'd gone to Bob's house and I don't know how to describe that experience. I've had a lot of really cool experiences, but I go to Iger's pad, we sit down and he goes, 'I like it.' I was like, 'He likes it.' He said, 'Come by the Imagineering Campus.' Feige and I go to the Imagineering Campus and you want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time...I can't say too much, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible."

It doesn't sound like Feige wanted Downey back as Iron Man, explaining why the decision was made to instead cast him as Doctor Doom. 

Now, we can't help but wonder whether Marvel Studios will avoid addressing any similarities between Tony and Victor by treating Downey's Doom as a completely separate character. If so, it could be similar to how Johnny Storm's resemblance to Captain America was only touched on in passing in Deadpool & Wolverine

Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released in May 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive in May 2027. Stay tuned for updates as we have them.

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Fogs
Fogs - 8/20/2024, 4:59 PM
We'll see. Sounds like a bad idea to me, atm.
marvel72
marvel72 - 8/21/2024, 2:06 AM
@Fogs -

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Fogs
Fogs - 8/21/2024, 4:08 AM
@marvel72 - I want to be proven wrong, I know he's a terrific actor and could pull this off, and Doom is one of my favorite villains. I'm more concerned on the reasoning they're using for his likeness in the story. It's better if there isn't one: some 616 (ugh) people get shocked when they see his restored face in SW and that's it. No IM references for his appearance whatsoever.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 8/21/2024, 6:55 AM
@Fogs - It does a bit, however someone else came up with an idea how it could work well...

...as in if this is a heavily scarred and masked Victor but uses tech and/or magic to use the visage of Tony Stark for nefarious reasons and/or to try and garner more compliance with his master plan through stolen valor at a certain point in one of the two films.

The main issues that remain to be seen if/how of is do the F4 have a long history with this Doom, as in is he from their universe or not, and will he stick around to interact in one or more of their solo films after secret wars or have a recast 616 Variant of the character down the road. If Doom is to become the big bad of Secret Wars that would tend to suggest he achieves god like level of powers and ultimately be defeated and/or killed causing complications for using the character in the mutant saga potentialy.
Fogs
Fogs - 8/21/2024, 2:20 PM
@Apophis71 - Nah. Him using Tony's face on purpose sounds gimmicky af.
PewPewPew
PewPewPew - 8/22/2024, 2:28 PM
@Fogs - I’ve got to agree. This reeks of desperation from MS. They could’ve gotten any number of great actors for this role. Instead they go back to the well.

On Downey specifically I’ll say that he has the charisma for the role, but I’ll have to wait and see if he can pull off the requisite menace. Can’t think of anyone off the top of my head who does both well.
ThorArms
ThorArms - 8/20/2024, 4:59 PM
He won't look like Tony Stark, that's for sure
McMurdo
McMurdo - 8/20/2024, 5:25 PM
@ThorArms - uh he undoubtedly will.
TheRogue
TheRogue - 8/20/2024, 5:30 PM
@McMurdo - He probably wont look "Like tony Stark" at best a ghoul with a different voice. At worst handsome with robert downrey juniors voice. Or worst case yes......evil iron man.
TheRogue
TheRogue - 8/20/2024, 5:33 PM
@McMurdo - Don't get me wrong. He will show his face. Even if he doesent we know he's Robet Dowrney Junior so its a L no matter what.
ThorArms
ThorArms - 8/20/2024, 6:08 PM
@McMurdo - It's been confirmed he's a variant of Stark?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 8/20/2024, 6:13 PM
@ThorArms - Leaks say he is from FF universe. Common sense says he's a variant. Because the comics and because RDJ is playing him. And because he's the new big bad of the multiverse Avengers films.
newhire13
newhire13 - 8/20/2024, 6:31 PM
@ThorArms - It may be scarred or something but they’ll def show his face. That’s part of the hook. Tony Stark is this legendary hero in the MCU and this maniac shows up and he looks exactly like him. Imagine Morgan and Pepper showing up and seeing this guy with the face of someone they love but who’s trying to take over the world.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/20/2024, 7:59 PM
@McMurdo - The only way I see around this is if they keep the mask on him at all times, which they totally should. And even of they show hos face it should be so horribly disfigured that it doesn't even matter that its RDJ because you can't recognize him.

But even that raises an issue.

They almost have to show a flashback of him becoming Doom at some point. So they'll need to show his non-disfigured face for that. (I suppose they could just keep his face in shadows or something for that flashback, but I don't know...)
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/20/2024, 8:06 PM
@McMurdo - Also, it's important to mention that unlike the subtitle of this article, RDJ never said he won't be a Tony Stark variant in his quote.
Razorface1
Razorface1 - 8/21/2024, 11:34 AM
@ThorArms - unlikely, the actor has the same face.
SuperJefe
SuperJefe - 8/20/2024, 4:59 PM
Yes, please. It would be a stroke of genius to have him really get lost in this characterization- different face, different attitude, same badass swagger.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 8/20/2024, 4:59 PM
Good, can we stop already with the "Tony Stark variant" gaslighting then?
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/20/2024, 8:05 PM
@Spidey91 - Unlike the subtitle of this article, no where in this quote does it say he won't be a Tony Stark variant.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 8/20/2024, 8:10 PM
@CorndogBurglar - by that logic Johnny Storm is a Steve Rogers variant.

Look, I know the "variant" thing is kind of messy and convenient... but the actor who's playing the part says "my character is named this and that", maybe we stop theorizing.

There might be a twist to it, that I don't know, there's not even a single letter typed into the script yet. Maybe we should all take a chill pill and wait for a trailer.
Fares
Fares - 8/20/2024, 9:06 PM
@Spidey91 @CorndogBurglar - I think it's nearly impossible to have a clear line between what's a variant and what's not, unless there's a higher authority that decides it.

The Peter Parkers share a lot of similarities but look nothing alike. The Lokis share the title of Norse-inspired God of Mischief but can be as from each other as Man from alligator. And now Iron Man and Victor Von Doom (potentially) share the same face.

Is that enough of a similarity to call them variants of one another? I say it doesn't really matter either way.

If Doom has Tony's face, all they have to do is have a character address it and move on, I don't understand why we'd make it a bigger deal than that.

If they want to build the story around it and focus on how Doom's intentions contrast with Tony's legacy, they can certainly do that, but again, the discussion of whether he's a variant or not doesn't need to happen in-universe. He's just a guy with the face of another guy we know.

Hell, you can even find two people on our earth that have nothing to do with each other but look as if they are identical twins.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 8/20/2024, 9:17 PM
@Fares - I think what makes someone a variant...is when it is literally a different version of the same character. All those Wolverines? Variants. The three Spider-Men? They all look different, but they're all Peter Parker.

Victor Von Doom is as much of a Tony Stark variant ad Johnny Storm is Steve's, aka, not really a variant. By that metric, is Miles Morales a Peter variant just because they're both A Spider-Man? I don't think so.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 8/21/2024, 7:49 AM
@Spidey91 - It’s one of those things where people will just ignore what they’ve heard at this point
Fares
Fares - 8/21/2024, 10:00 AM
@Spidey91 - Let's think of this possibility:

On our main earth, Tony's great great great grandparents from each parental side happened to both migrate from undisclosed countries to the States. His parental side changed their family name to Stark. One thing led to another, his parents met, and Tony Stark was born.

On another Earth, everything happened exactly the same as it did on our main earth from the beginning of time, except for one thing: Those great great great grandparents happened to migrate to Latviria instead. His parental side changed their family name to Von Doom, one thing led to another, his same exact parents met, Victor was born.

Is it so far fetched to consider Tony and Victor to be variants of one another in this scenario?
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 8/21/2024, 10:36 AM
@Fares - well, at that point you're trying to make Doom fit into the variant angle by bending Tony's established backstory. It's basically a What If scenario at that point.
Fares
Fares - 8/21/2024, 11:31 AM
@Spidey91 - I mean it's the multiverse, and What if is just that. It's not only highly possible that the two earths I describe are out there somewhere, they're pretty much a guarantee, and the one that houses Tony can be indistinguishable from the one we've been following in the movies since we pretty much don't know the history of the Starks before the 20th century.
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/20/2024, 5:00 PM
they need to get jackman back as Reed
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bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/20/2024, 5:00 PM
DOOMSPEAKS
DOOMSPEAKS - 8/20/2024, 5:02 PM
Ughhhhh
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 8/20/2024, 9:55 PM
@DOOMSPEAKS - lol, this comment reminds me why I love cbm...
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 8/20/2024, 5:07 PM
This is us right now
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newhire13
newhire13 - 8/20/2024, 6:33 PM
@HashTagSwagg - I can’t take stuff like that seriously because as soon as that first pic is released and that trailer hits y’all will be begging to buy tickets lol.
Spike101
Spike101 - 8/20/2024, 5:09 PM
Still seems like a really dumb idea, particularly when Ironman was such a popular character.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 8/20/2024, 5:35 PM
@Spike101 - that's why it's smart imo. This is 2b guaranteed right here. And knowing Feige, RDJ, Russos and McKenna, they'll have a strong narrative reason too
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 8/20/2024, 9:57 PM
@Spike101 - User Comment Image

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Spike101
Spike101 - 8/21/2024, 5:12 AM
@bkmeijer1 - let’s hope so 🤞
Spike101
Spike101 - 8/21/2024, 5:13 AM
@KennKathleen - indeed
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 8/20/2024, 5:11 PM
They really never wanted to cast someone that was Romani for the role of Doom then. They saw and heard all the criticism that the casting for Pietro and Wanda Maximoff got literally 10 years ago and they didn't care nor learned anything. Wow.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/20/2024, 5:23 PM
@NinnesMBC - while tbh it doesn’t bother me , I can understand people having an issue with casting a non Romani actor for Doom

It’s just weird where they chose to put representation at times and others not
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