Kevin Feige was behind the decision to bring Robert Downey Jr. in as Doctor Doom, and the conversation was had "a while ago"

Avengers: Doomsday co-director Joe Russo has explained who was behind the shock decision to bring in Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

"That was Kevin [Feige]," Joe Russo revealed in an interview with Omelete. "Interestingly enough about that, that conversation was had a while ago."

Marvel Studios' president may have been behind the decision to bring a Doom with a familiar face into the MCU as part of the next pair of Avengers movies, but Joe and Anthony Russo – who helmed both Infinity War and Endgame – weren't initially swayed by the intriguing creative direction.

"Then Robert tried to talk us into doing [the Avengers movies] and we said no. Weirdly, because we said we wouldn't come back. We just didn't have a story," Russo said. "We didn't have a way in. We were resistant for a while. One day, [writer] Steve McFeely, one of our chief collaborators, said, 'I have an idea.' We went, 'That's the story.' That story has to be told; it's a really powerful story."

While Joe Russo was understandably reluctant to say more about that Doom will be getting up to in Avengers: Doomsday, his next choice of words will surely strike a chord with those who were fans of the more Thanos-centric Infinity War and The Mad Titan's unrelenting desire to bring balance and parity to a universe in dire need of resources – in his own destructive style.

"The one thing I will say about the movie: we love villains who think they're the heroes of their own stories. That's when they become three-dimensional and become more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey Jr., you have to create a well-shaped, three-dimensional character for the audience."

Avengers: Doomsday is set to film imminently, though don't expect a full first look at Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom just yet. There were reports that he could first appear in July's Fantastic Four though, right now, all we know about the character is that Downey Jr. is working on backstory for the villain – and leaked concept art (since debunked) suggests an arc similar to the God Emperor Doom ruler of Jonathan Hickman's 2015 Secret Wars comic run.

Avengers: Doomsday is hitting cinemas on May 1, 2026.

For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.