Robert Downey Jr. played the role of Iron Man from the humble beginnings of the MCU to the end of the Infinity Saga. The role became synonymous with him and many called it one of the best casting decisions in film history. The role made a huge impression on fans and now the actor is returning to the franchise to play another iconic character who is a stark contrast to Tony Stark.
It was recently announced that Downey Jr. will play Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom in the upcoming Avengers films. Prior to this announcement, fans were clamoring for Downey Jr. to return to the MCU as a variant of Tony Stark in the multiverse saga. The actor playing Superior Iron Man might have been the perfect role reversal to what he portrayed as Tony Stark.
Although Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom might be great, fans would have loved him as a superior Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr.’s tenure as Iron Man is celebrated to this day as he had a significant impact on the MCU. Fans don’t see anyone else play the character as well as he does, and even believe he is Tony Stark in real life. With such a close association with the actor-character combination, not all fans were happy with the star’s upcoming role.
When it was announced that Downey Jr. was returning to the MCU as Dr. Doom, reactions were understandably divided. Many fans feared that his reputation as Iron Man would be tarnished by his role as a villain. While the Oscar winner will surely do a great job, Dr. Doom was not the character they were hoping for his return.
Since his departure from Iron Man, fans have wanted to see Downey Jr. return in some form in the multiverse. Some of them were keen to see Downey Jr. completely swap his Iron Man role for Superior Iron Man (the two characters are two sides of the same coin). The character would have given Downey Jr. a dramatically drastic performance while still providing some sense of familiarity.
Despite his casting as Doctor Doom, some fans feel that it would have been a better choice for the MCU to cast Downey Jr. as Superior Iron Man for the upcoming Avengers films directed by the Russo Brothers. Here are some reactions to X,
I would almost bet that RDJ says this line in Avengers: Doomsday
— Stephen Patton (@StephenAPatton) 18 August 2024
RDJ should have come back as Superior and somehow made him a villain. That would have been much better but let’s hope to god he can give it his all as Doom……..I’m 20% sure he can do it
– DAMMY🇬🇧🇳🇬 (@Senpai_dami) 17 August 2024
You get the feeling that if they wanted to bring RDJ back, this might have been a better way to go.
Something like him uploading his consciousness into a machine (before he dies), creating a new body using comic book science, going insane, and the Avengers having to stop him could work.
— Banned from IHOP (@goblue43729) 17 August 2024
RDJ should play this role instead of DOOM, smh
— ROdolphin (@Rodolphin_) 17 August 2024
That would have been a much cooler idea than RDJ as Doom
— The Bean Dip (@RefriedBeanDip) 17 August 2024
Although the idea of Downey Jr. as Superior Iron Man as suggested by fans is interesting, it may also feel like a reboot of Tony Stark, with the only difference being his dark and sinister personality. As Doctor Doom, it will be a completely new character that the actor has never played before, and it could be his next big gray/antagonistic character after such roles in Oppenheimer And The sympathizer.
Jeremy Renner is happy about the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
Jeremy Renner and Robert Downey Jr. have been together since the first avenger. The original six cast members still maintain a group chat and post updates about their daily happenings. However, Downey Jr. did not mention his casting as Doctor Doom in the group, and the announcement shocked Renner as much as fans.
In a recent interview with US Weekly, the Hawkeye actor revealed that the Iron Man star didn’t even give a hint about his casting in the group chat and was surprised at how well he was able to hide the big news. He also expressed his excitement about the casting and the possibilities it could bring. Renner said:
No! I had no idea. The son of a bitch didn’t tell me anything. We’re good friends. There’s the Avengers family chat. The original six. He said not a peep. I went online and started calling his phone, like, ‘What’s going on? You’ve been hiding this from us this whole time?’ This is exciting news. I’m really, really excited about it.
The actor also teased the challenges the studio will face in assembling the massive cast of the two Avengers films. Hawkeye is expected to play a central role in the films and it remains to be seen how the studio will tackle this herculean task.
Avengers: Endgame And Avengers: Secret Wars will be released in theaters on May 1, 2026 and May 7, 2027.
