Reactions to Robert Downey Jr. Being Cast as Victor Von Doom

Well, Kevin Feige and Disney have once again shocked the socks off of fans worldwide. At San Diego Comic Con, it was revealed that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Victor von Doom. Slated for a May 2026 release, “Avengers: Doomsday” is seemingly set with Downey taking center stage as the film’s villain.

To say the news of Downey’s return, as Doom no less, shook the Marvel fandom would be an understatement, to say the least. “What is even happening I am so confused?!?” Redditor u/ILikeClefairy wrote in a thread discussing the surprising news. “Well nobody had that on their bingo card,” u/MegaClone18 added. Nope, nobody did. If they say they did, they’re lying.

However, as beloved as Downey is, and as iconic as his run as Tony Stark was, not all fans like the idea of him returning as such an iconic villain, especially one who has not yet been introduced in the MCU. “Don’t love it if I’m being honest. Seems like a cheap move,” one Redditor wrote, adding that if Disney had to recast a Marvel actor as Doom, then they’d have preferred Mads Mikkelsen, who played the villain Kaecilius in 2016’s “Doctor Strange.” Meanwhile, across social media, many fans seemed to have echoed similar sentiments.

A significant portion of the Marvel fandom are expressing uncertainty over Downey’s casting as Doom, with many seeing it as a weak ploy by Disney to backtrack into familiar territory. “@kamkamog” wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “[I]t’s a cheap way to do it especially for Dr Doom, but that’s just how I see it personally.” One fan brought up their immense admiration for the “Iron Man” actor while mentioning that the role should have went to his “Oppenheimer” co-star. “RDJ, love him 3000, but it should have been Cillian Murphy.”

On social media, several fans touched on just how much of a colossal villain Doctor Doom is in the comics, how such a character deserves to stand alone, removed from Downey’s legacy, and how making Doom a potential Iron Man variant would be a huge mistake for his entry into the MCU. “Doctor Doom is one of the most iconic villains of all time, making him a Tony Stark variant instead of just casting a new actor to play Viktor is a really really terrible, creatively bankrupt choice,” wrote one fan. It’s important to note that it has not been confirmed if Downey’s Doom will be a Tony Stark variant. Kevin Feige has previously expressed his unwillingness for a Tony Stark return due to the character’s iconic death in “Endgame.” All that’s known is that the actor is signed on for two “Avengers” movies.