In one of the most surprising - not to mention divisive - Comic-Con announcements yet, we learned that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom during Marvel Studios' Hall H presentation earlier this month.
Recent rumors had claimed that RDJ would be playing an evil Variant of Tony Stark, but the actor was introduced as "Victor Von Doom," and follow-up comments from the Oppenheimer star seemed to confirm that he has indeed been cast as an entirely new character.
Since the news broke, fans have been weighing up the pros and cons of Downey being reintroduced to the MCU as Doctor Doom, and while I am in the "let's wait and see" camp to a degree, I can't help but feel some concern that this is simply blatant stunt casting that could blow up in Kevin Feige's face - especially if Downey is not playing a Stark variant.
If Doom debuts as an alternate universe Iron Man who went down a darker path, it would at least make some sense in relation to the established rules of the Multiverse, and leave the door open to another actor suiting-up as the villain down the line. But are we just supposed to play along and accept it if Downey steps onto the screen as a completely new character with zero explanation?
Sure, other actors have played dual roles in the MCU before, but this isn't like Chris Evans pulling double-duty as the Human Torch and Captain America in two separate franchises, or even Gemma Chan playing Minn-Erva (with about three minutes of screen time) in Captain Marvel before taking on the role of Sersi in Eternals.
This is Robert Downey f*cking Jr. we're talking about here. The face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for well over a decade. Yes, he is a versatile actor, and he may well wear a mask as Doom for a lot of his scenes, but there is no way he is keeping his face covered for his entire run as this character - and even if heavy prosthetics are applied for Doom's scarred visage, does anyone think he will be completely unrecognizable?
If audiences can tell that it's RDJ and aren't given a satisfactory explanation as to why Iron Man is suddenly back as a villain - and we're supposed to buy that the other characters aren't taking any notice - this simply isn't going to work. And if he is plastered under so much make-up that it's difficult to tell... then what's the damn point?
Feige and The Russo Brothers want to work with Downey again... great, completely understandable. But does anyone really believe that - as great an actor as he is - RDJ is the best choice to play Doctor Doom? Many feel that an actor of Romani descent should be cast as this character, but even if you understand why the studio would want an A-list star in the role, there are so many actors out there that are better suited to this particular part.
Again, I'm perfectly willing to give these guys the benefit of the doubt and wait and see what they have in store - but just going off the information at hand, I can't help but feel that it would have been a better idea to cast someone else as Doom, and if Robert Downey Jr. really wants to return to the MCU and (potentially) tarnish his powerful send-off in Avengers: Endgame, then bring him back as an actual Tony Stark variant for Secret Wars.
What do you guys think? Do you agree, or am I being too cynical here? Be sure to leave a comment in the usual place.