Robert Downey Jr. says he prefers playing Victor Von Doom over Tony Stark because it gives him a totally different perspective.
"It was really weird being the guy – everyone else is hanging out, they’re the good heroes, and I’m [in] this mask, and this hood," Downey told Good Morning America. "I'm like, 'They're all on one side of the camera, and I guess they're all mad at me or something.' But I'll say this: getting to know [Hayley Atwell] better, all of [mine and Chris Evans’] history, because you're a legit dude," he says, addressing Evans, "because you don't say yes because you can; it has to feel right. And I think that in Doomsday, what happens with this key relationship is so exciting and unexpected and beautiful. I will say Doom, for now, because I got to really observe what I've been missing the whole time: just everybody else."
Downey was cast as Tony Stark all the way back in 2006, starring in the standalone film in 2008. Iron Man dies in Avengers: Endgame, which was released in 2019, and marked the end of Downey's time with Marvel... until we got that absolutely wild announcement in 2024. After Jonathan Majors was fired from Marvel, the studio opted to change the entire Kang storyline, rather than recast Kang.
This resulted in a pivot to Doctor Doom, with the MCU more or less adapting the Jonathan Hickman Avengers comic book run that leads into Avengers: Secret Wars. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, a figure dressed as Doctor Doom came out on stage during the Marvel panel and took off his mask, revealing himself to be none other than Downey. As of right now, we can expect him to play Doom in Doomsday and Secret Wars... though we don't quite know how life will get back to normal for all of our heroes after the events of Secret Wars. But we'll see!
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18. For more on all things MCU, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
