Robert Downey Jr.’s Avengers return doesn’t spell doom for the MCU – but it sure feels risky

Somehow, Robert Downey Jr. has returned. But what should have been a moment of triumph and elation at Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel quickly turned into a social media tapestry of quizzical looks, raised eyebrows, and a general feeling that the MCU just jumped the multiversal shark.

Worse still, the Iron Man-turned-Doctor Doom actor announced his Avengers: Doomsday bow in Hall H off the back of a movie in Deadpool and Wolverine that gently poked fun at the redundancy of the multiverse and its endless recycling of variants and actors. In short, it was the right man at the wrong time.

Let’s be clear up front: Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback isn’t a disaster. The social media metrics and mainstream attention it generated alone certainly righted the ship in the eyes of the general fanbase who were desperate for an MCU focal point in the wake of the Kang fallout and the removal of Jonathan Majors. 

But, for once, this feels less like a surefire success and more like a desperate last-gasp gamble to claw back the sort of goodwill that has dissipated across Marvel Studios’ recent efforts in Phases 4 and 5. Doctor Doom certainly won’t doom the MCU – but it could be the beginning of a very prosperous end.

Why? The reasons are many, but each ultimately boils down to the Robert Downey Jr. of it all. 

The core concept of introducing Doctor Doom – an iconic Fantastic Four villain – as an Avengers-level threat works on so many levels. But introducing him as either a Tony Stark variant or someone who just happens to look like Robert Downey Jr. is a Galactus-sized misstep that, at best, is slightly confusing. At worst, it’s the sort of nostalgia pandering that Deadpool spent two hours unravelling in suitably meta fashion. When a significant piece casting resembles a cut joke from scenes in The Void, it’s probably best to wonder how we all got here.

A Stark reminder

In fact, let’s do that. Robert Downey Jr’s final MCU appearance to date was Tony Stark’s iconic death in Avengers: Endgame. You know, the one that still gets you choked up now.

A genuine generation-defining moment that cemented Iron Man’s place in pop culture folklore for decades to come, ‘The Snap’ was a touching and heartfelt bow to both character’s arc and over a decade of Marvel storytelling. Better yet, it was definitive – a rarity in the world of comic books and comic book movies alike.

Now, even that all-timer scene will be a little tempered by the knowledge that Downey Jr. has taken on another face in the MCU. You can argue that it doesn’t change Iron Man’s story but, much like how Deadpool desecrated Logan’s corpse in his threequel’s opening, there’s going to be a little voice in your head that won’t be able to shake the idea that finality simply doesn’t exist in the MCU anymore.

On top of that, having RDJ play Doctor Doom diminishes the history of the character slightly. Right off the bat, he loses a little of the personal connection and rivalry with Reed Richards, though any scenes shared with Mister Fantastic actor Pedro Pascal will surely break the internet regardless. Meanwhile, a Spider-Man/Doctor Doom dynamic – given the link between Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Tony Stark – will probably take precedence over everything else. Try as Kevin Feige might, many will see Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr., not Doctor Doom – even if he keeps the mask on (and there’s reportedly 80 million reasons why he won’t).

I am Doom

Marvel also keeps returning to familiar faces as a safety net. At some point, they’ll have to break free from that cycle – even if their attempts to build up a new generation with Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, and Ms. Marvel have been admirable. If Marvel is going for a big reaction in the cinema and the logical end point of the multiverse’s tendency for remixes, an evil Tony Stark or another variant entirely would have been a fun twist on an established character without painting over a new one.

All told, I am excited to see what Downey Jr. can do with Doctor Doom. Honest. A twisted Tony Stark variant is an intriguing thread to pull on, one crammed with cinematic potential and destined to sell tickets. It’s also not worlds away from his turn as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, with each role defined by a visceral jealousy over a smarter, more lauded peer. He’s got the acting chops and knows exactly what the MCU needs from its big stars – but does the MCU need Robert Downey Jr. in this role? We’ll find out come Doomsday. 

For more on the MCU, check out our guides on upcoming Marvel movies and how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Then dive into our theories on how Robert Downey Jr. could go from Iron Man to Doctor Doom.