Understanding Robert Downey Jr.’s Casting as Doctor Doom: What Makes It Work?

It has been widely known for some time that Marvel Studios has let go of Jonathan Majors, meaning he will not reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror in future MCU projects. In the wake of his departure, rumors began circulating that The Kang Dynasty might be reworked to feature a different villain as the central focus.

This seemed logical given that Majors’ portrayal of Kang was not well-received, and Quantumania had a significant box office failure just a few months earlier.

At this year’s SDCC, Marvel Studios confirmed the long-standing rumors: Kang Dynasty has been rebranded as Avengers: Doomsday, with Doctor Doom set to become the next major MCU villain. The biggest surprise, however, is that Robert Downey Jr. will be portraying Doom.

Many fans have expressed mixed reactions to this casting choice, largely because Downey Jr. is already well-established in the MCU as Iron Man, who met his end in the emotionally charged finale of Avengers: Endgame.

So, how can Downey Jr. return in a different role? The answer is that he will likely play Doctor Doom as a variant from another reality, rather than resurrecting his Iron Man character. This concept of variants is familiar in the MCU; we’ve seen it with characters like Gamora, Loki, and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Jonathan Majors himself portrayed several variants, including He Who Remains, Victor Timely, and various versions of Kang.

Robert Downey Jr.’s casting is particularly puzzling because he will portray two distinct characters, rather than a variant of Iron Man. As far as we know, RDJ’s Doctor Doom will not be linked to Earth-616 or Iron Man. Instead, it’s highly likely that this version of Doom will come from the same reality as the upcoming Fantastic Four, with rumors suggesting a brief appearance in Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doctor Doom will likely enter Earth-616 in a manner similar to the Fantastic Four.

Separating Doctor Doom from Iron Man will be challenging, but understanding that they are not currently connected helps. Doctor Doom’s origin story is expected to have no impact on Iron Man’s narrative in the MCU, as Kevin Feige has repeatedly stated that Iron Man’s death remains unchanged. Thus, don’t anticipate a resurrection or an evil turn for Iron Man, as it would undermine some of the most significant projects in the MCU.

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