Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday as an entirely new character, and he's revealed how he's dealing with the pressure. The Iron Man star isn't only taking on a hugely important comic character in Victor Von Doom, but he's also following in the footsteps of previous Avengers villain Thanos, without a lot of set-up.
Speaking to Comic Book Reporter, Downey Jr. explained that he's been channeling the approach of his directors, the Russo brothers, to stay level-headed with it all. "I'm quite odd in that I try to stay as removed from a subjective experience of things as I can," he explained. "So I try to think like the brothers. I try to feel like I'm in the writing room. I try to feel all that stuff. But eventually, there are so many big shoes to step into that I just have to go, 'What hasn't been done as well as it can be done yet?' We're always looking for that opportunity."
The actor explained that they're doing something different with this character, which feeds into the same details we've had from the Russos so far that this Avengers will be "starting over from scratch". As Downey Jr. puts it, "A lot of it has been… there's some experimentation. We've had our moments of, 'Let's shift here.' But we landed in a place that I think will more than suffice. And it's not even about how I executed it. It's about the way it's been structured, and the other characters."
It seems like everyone involved is very aware of the pressure coming from the previous Avengers movies too. But according to the Doom actor, they're hoping to strike gold once again.
He added: "There's something going on in Doomsday and forward that is literally the only antidote to, 'How do you not have these films be let down after an Infinity War and an Endgame?' And boy, have we labored long and hard to bring that down."
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026. For more upcoming superhero movies, check out our guide to all the new Marvel movies and shows on the way.
