Marvel fans believe Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom will lead to ‘Infamous Iron Man’

In an astounding turn of events, Robert Downey Jr is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but not as the beloved Iron Man. Instead, Downey Jr has been cast as the villainous Doctor Doom.

Downey Jr initially portrayed Tony ‘Iron Man’ Stark in eight Marvel movies from 2008 until the character’s emotional demise in Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

At San Diego Comic-Con, directors Joe and Anthony Russo confirmed that the Oscar-winning actor would return to the MCU, this time taking on the role of Victor Von Doom, also known as Doctor Doom, the supervillain and autocratic ruler of the fictional nation of Latveria.

Interestingly, Downey Jr seems well-suited to play Doom, as the character shares traits with Tony Stark. Both are scientists with genius-level intellects and are prolific inventors. Each has created robot armies and donned full-body armor. However, the main distinction lies in their moral compass, with one being a force for good and the other for evil.

Fans can expect Downey Jr to make his debut as Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. With the movie a couple of years away, speculation is rife regarding how this version of Doctor Doom will be portrayed.

A prominent theory is that this could be an adaptation of the 2017 comic-book storyline ‘Infamous Iron Man’. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, the story focuses on Doom’s quest to take on a more heroic role by assuming the mantle of Iron Man from Tony Stark following the events of ‘Civil War II’.

The narrative prominently features Doom’s primary adversaries, the Fantastic Four, who are also set to make their MCU debut in 2025. This new Fantastic Four film stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bacharach, and Joseph Quinn.

Fans are already abuzz, drawing comparisons between Downey Jr’s casting and the ‘Infamous Iron Man’ storyline. One fan exclaimed: “WAIT HOLD UP ARE WE GETTING INFAMOUS IRON MAN DOCTOR DOOM WITH ROBERT DOWNEY JR??”

Another fan commented: “The way that Marvel is about to try to pull off an MCU-infamous Iron Man trilogy is absolutely crazy work. Because I promise you they’re going for it. Infamous Iron Man trilogy INCOMING.”

However, some fans speculate that the Doctor Doom announcement might be a strategic deception. They suggest Downey Jr could be returning as a villainous version of Stark, known as Superior Iron Man, a more egotistical and selfish variant of the character.

One fan opined: “How do you do Superior Iron Man in the MCU? You make him Dr. FN DOOM.”

Another added: “It has to be a smoke screen. RDJ playing Infamous Iron Man would be an incredibly bizarre decision. But if we’re talking Superior Iron Man…”

Currently, Marvel is unfolding its ‘Multiverse Saga’, heavily explored in films such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine. In theory, this multiverse narrative allows for the reintroduction of another version of Stark without undoing Downey Jr’s original portrayal.

Doctor Doom has been portrayed on screen before by actors like Julian McMahon and Toby Kebbell, although those films did not do justice to the character’s complexity, leading to widespread criticism.

Source: various