While some of the creative decisions made in 2013's Iron Man 3 proved a tad divisive, the movie grossed over $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office (the first MCU solo outing to achieve that accolade) and cemented Robert Downey Jr. as the franchise's biggest draw.
Filmmaker Shane Black, who had worked with Downey on 2005's Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, was at the helm of the Marvel Studios threequel. He didn't return to the MCU after that, but there was never an Iron Man 4 for him to come back to.
Instead, Downey lent his star power to movies like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming, before bidding farewell to Tony Stark in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
The Oscar-winning Oppenheimer actor will return to the MCU in next year's Avengers: Doomsday, where he'll play the villainous Doctor Doom.
Talking to ComicBook.com, Black shared his thoughts on Downey's new role. "I think he’s going to singlehandedly reinvigorate the entire comic book movie industry with that," the director stated. "I mean, it seemed like at first a cynical idea, you know, 'Oh, let’s just go back to the well of the one guy that seems to always save us.' But it’s going to work. It’s really going to work."
"And he’s brought to it...I’m not at liberty to say anything, not that I know. I’m thrilled because I’m first in line to see that," Black continued. "I haven’t seen all the Marvel movies. I’ll see that one first."
If Marvel Studios and the Russo Brothers plan to remain faithful to the comics, then Downey won't remove his mask as Doom (even when he becomes God Doom in Secret Wars, his face remains horribly scarred). That's going to make the marketing campaign very interesting.
Either way, Downey will be a big draw for moviegoers, especially when Avengers: Doomsday's confirmed cast is so far comprised mostly of characters who starred in blockbusters that underperformed at the box office. Short of some huge new additions in the coming months, this one will need all the help it can get to reignite interest in the MCU.
Are you excited to see Downey's take on Doctor Doom? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make their Avengers franchise debuts in the movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, and Ryan Reynolds are also set to appear, according to recent reports from the trades.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron is also working on the script.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.