Summary
Avengers: Doomsdayis looming ever closer, with the film set to release on Jul 29, 2025, and the excitement is building. However, in typical Marvel Studios fashion, details regarding the plot and which characters fans can expect to see are being kept relatively quiet, meaning there has been no shortage of speculation.
Robert Downey Jr. will make his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe inAvengers: Doomsday, which has already been confirmed. Audiences are currently split on the idea of him becoming Doctor Doom and portraying a villain due to how many years he portrayed Iron Man, where he was essentially the face of the franchise. However, the latest news snippet about the movie has calmed a lot of worries in that regard.
The Russo Brothers Have Teased Doctor Doom’s Storyline
While it’s widely expected that Downey Jr. will betaking on the role of Doctor Doomvia the multiverse to explain how the same person is playing another character, there are many questions about it. Audiences feared it would be totally ignored, but that’s not the case. Joe and Anthony Russo recently spoke toThe Times, where they were quizzed about the sacrifice Tony Stark made duringAvengers: Endgame, which led to the heroes defeating Thanos.
“We can’t explain that as it’s part of the story. But there’s nobody else in the world who could play this character the way he’s about to.”
While the Russo Brothers were as cryptic as possible in answering this, the fact that his sacrifice will be part of the story proves that Downey Jr.’s Marvel history will be addressed. This is something that audiences actively want to happen, as it’s not beneficial to ignore something so obvious.
Focusing On Iron Man’s Past Will Be Crucial
The fact that the Russo Brothers are set to link Iron Man to Doctor Doom in some capacity is a positive sign. It would have been easy to ignore that link, but that would have made casting Downey Jr just feel like it was being done for the sake of publicity and drawing as much attention to the movie as possible. While there’s obviously a slight element to that, if it’s something that is going to serve a purpose and benefit the plot, then it could end up being a truly special situation. This is the first time Marvel has done something like this. Therefore, there’s a lot of unknown when it comes towhat approach Downey Jr will give. Still, it seems obvious that there are going to be a lot of links to his past as Tony Stark, which could lead to some interesting moments with some of the Avengers who he was previously fighting alongside rather than against.
This will be the elephant in the room from the start of the movie, as audiences will instantly see him and want to know more information. This will be particularly important for casual audiences who might not be clued into all the finer details of the MCU and the current multiverse phase, which is rather complicated within itself. Marvelwants Doctor Doom to be a compelling character, and ensuring that the link with Iron Man is explained will be important in pushing that question out of people’s minds as early as possible within the movie.
Marvel Studios Needs To Make Sure Viewers See Doctor Doom As A Villain
The character of Doctor Doom is one of the most evil in Marvel history, and considering how powerful he is, it has been easy to portray him in that way over the years. Whether it has been comic books, television shows, movies, or video games, audiences have associated Doctor Doom as someone to fear and worry about. However, given that it will beDowney Jr in the role, there is going to be a hurdle for Marvel to jump over, given that people naturally see him as a hero. He’s extremely charismatic and likable, while him being in so many movies as Iron Man naturally just makes people think about him in that light.
It’s a roadblock the Russo Brother will have to overcome and is their next biggest challenge outside of audiences wanting to know how he is now in this role. They’ve made it clear that they’re going to be addressing Downey Jr’s time as Iron Man, and now it will be important to make audiences actually fear him. There has been somespeculation that he will kill Thanosto showcase his power, but that might not make people scared of him. Instead, it would be wise for Marvel to have Doctor Doom kill an Avenger, as that would instantly make moviegoers stand up and take notice of him. Doing that would ensure fans don’t see him as Iron Man any longer, and that will be crucial to the success ofAvengers: Doomsdayas an important villain can make or break a film within the MCU.
