‘Iron Man 3’ Director Believes Robert Downey Jr. Will Revive Comic Book Movies as Doctor Doom

Shane Black, the director of Iron Man 3, has shared his thoughts on Robert Downey Jr. joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe again, this time not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom.

While promoting his new movie Play Dirty, Black spoke with ComicBook about Downey taking on the villain role in Avengers: Doomsday.

Having worked with the actor on Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang in 2005 and later on Iron Man 3 in 2013, Black has seen firsthand what Downey brings to a character. On top of that, he’s always been a big fan of comic books, so he had plenty to say.

According to Black, Downey could be the one to shake up the superhero movie world again. “I think he’s going to singlehandedly reinvigorate the entire comic book movie industry with that,” Black said.

“I mean, it seemed like at first a cynical idea, you know, ‘Oh, let’s just go back to the well of the one guy that seems to always save us.’ But it’s going to work. It’s really going to work. And he’s brought to it… I’m not at liberty to say anything, not that I know. I’m thrilled because I’m first in line to see that. I haven’t seen all the Marvel movies. I’ll see that one first.” He said.

Not everyone was this optimistic when the casting was first announced. Many fans were unhappy with the idea of Downey playing Doom.

Some had other actors in mind, like Cillian Murphy, who was a favorite among fan communities. Others felt that using Downey in such a major role again could blur the line between Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom, making it harder for audiences to separate the two.

Another common reaction was that Marvel might be relying too much on nostalgia. After Avengers: Endgame, people thought bringing back familiar faces like Downey and Chris Evans, along with reuniting the original X-Men, showed the studio was leaning heavily on past successes instead of moving forward with new ideas.

Still, Shane Black’s confidence in Downey suggests that Marvel may be onto something. His excitement could help change the conversation around this unusual casting choice as the movie gets closer.

This move is risky but also exciting. Downey is such a strong actor that he could surprise everyone by making Doom completely different from Tony Stark. If Marvel pulls it off, it could bring fresh energy to the MCU.

What do you think. can Downey really make Doctor Doom work, or is Marvel just playing the nostalgia card? Share your thoughts in the comments.