Robert Downey Jr. Reveals How He Became The MCU’s Doctor Doom

Iron Man! Wait no… Doctor Doom!?! Robert Downey Jr.’s shocking return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still confusing fans weeks after the announcement, but we don’t have to wonder anymore. Downey Jr. revealed on the Awards Chatter podcast exactly how he became the new Doctor Doom:

"So, probably a year ago...cause, you know, [Kevin] Feige and I have kept in touch. We're pals. Favreau, Feige, and I have kept in touch. I'm close with the Russo Brothers; we have other business we're doing. So, there's this little group of fellow travellers and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger and I had an idea outside of the Cinematic Universe for how I could be of service to what's going on in the Parks and all their location-based entertainment. Susan and I were sitting down with Feige at one point and he said, 'It just keeps occurring to me that if you were to come back...' and Susan was like, 'Wait, wait, come back as what?' Then we both realized over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy, a very sophisticated creative thinker, about how can we not go backwards, how can we not disappoint expectations, how we can continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked up this character and I was like, 'Wow.' Later, Kevin goes, 'Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let's get that right.' So then I said to Kevin, 'Can I go talk to Bob Iger?' He goes, 'About?' I go, 'About everything. I'd gone to Bob's house and I don't know how to describe that experience. I've had a lot of really cool experiences, but I go to Iger's pad, we sit down and he goes, 'I like it.' I was like, 'He likes it.' He said, 'Come by the Imagineering Campus.' Feige and I go to the Imagineering Campus and you want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time...I can't say too much, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible."

“Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let’s get that right.” That one quote gives me great hope for the future of the MCU. You could argue that the real reason was a big fat stack of Marvel cash, and you would probably be right. But even if it was just that, wanting to get this character right is the main important part. I’m excited for Doomsday and Secret Wars!

Avengers: Doomsday comes out May 1, 2026!

Avengers: Secret Wars comes out May 7, 2027!

-Steele Wyndham