Doctor Doom Steals Iron Man’s Identity- Russo Brothers Will Make MCU a Mess if They Adapt This Marvel Arc For Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers 5
- Robert Downey Jr. returns to MCU as Dr. Doom.
- The Russo brothers noted they needed the greatest actor to play one of the most complex character.
- Victor Doom stealing Tony Stark's body could be one of the arc Marvel Studios could go for.
Actor Robert Downey Jr. is without a doubt one of the most talented and powerful actors in the industry because it’s not just his performance on screen that impresses the audience, but his aura. The actor is famously known and celebrated for portraying Tony Stark, a.k.a., Iron Man, in Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008.
The actor said goodbye to his legendary character in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame. Even though fans praised Downey Jr.’s performance in the movie, they were sad that they had to witness their favorite Avenger die. But little did the fans know that Marvel Studios and Robert Downey Jr. had other plans to put in place.
Robert Downey Jr. returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Victor Doom
The iconic Robert Downey Jr. made a grand entrance at Marvel’s panel at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024. The Russo Brothers shared with the audience (via THR)
If we’re going to bring Victor Von Doom to the screen—he is one of the most complex characters in all comics—this is potentially one of the more entertaining characters in all fiction. If we’re going to do this, then we are going to need the greatest actor in the world. As proof of the unimaginable possibilities of the Marvel Universe, we give you the one person who could play Victor Von Doom.
A masked man in a green suit appeared from two dozen olive-robed men and unmasked himself. It was Robert Downey Jr., and he was met with the greatest and loudest cheers in the panel, which had about 6500+ members in the audience. The Russo Brothers are going to direct and produce the upcoming Avengers movie, which will see the return of Downey Jr.
Joe Russo went ahead to share with the audience that it’s the biggest story that Marvel Comics ever told, and it’s the first comic book run that he read as a kid that made him fall in love with comics. Avengers: Secret Wars appeared on the big screen, which has been known as the duo’s dream project.
The news marks a creative makeover for Avengers: Doomsday, which reportedly is going to come before Secret Wars and will serve as Avengers 5. According to Geek Tyrant, when Downey Jr. was previously asked about his potential return, he answered that he was open to the idea of that. He said,
It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am. I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea.
Downey Jr. had auditioned to play Doctor Victor Doom in Fantastic Four before he was picked for Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Iron Man. Fans are now just thrilled with the idea that their favorite superhero will be back on-screen for two movies.
Will Doctor Doom steal Iron Man’s identity in Avengers: Doomsday?
Now that it has been announced that Downey Jr. is set to return to the MCU as Doctor Doom, fans have been wondering how that will be possible because he is already Iron Man. Real Quick Comics explained that according to comic books, Tony Stark and Victor Von were roommates in college who did not get along, as whereas Victor was serious and focused on his studies, Tony Stark liked to enjoy.
When Victor discovers that his scholarship might not be renewed, he starts to work on a secret project that needs Stark’s help. He later finds out that it was a machine designed to switch their bodies and erase Stark’s memories. Victor, who is in Stark’s body, gets him expelled and sent back to Latveria and starts to enjoy everything that comes with being Stark. Tony, on the other hand, struggles with addiction but eventually overcomes his circumstances, becomes a Doctor, and starts Doom Industries.
Interestingly, Tony’s Doom Industries could put Victor out of business, so the latter steals Iron Man’s prototype suit. When the two former college roommates meet, they recognize each other. Victor uses the Iron Man suit, which is known to be very powerful, and Tony uses the Doom suit, which wasn’t designed for a battle. But Tony hacks into Doom’s suit and ignites his rockets, incapacitating Victor, who begs for his freedom and reveals the truth to Tony.
Doom offers to switch their bodies back, but Tony says that the world has come to associate the Stark name with greed and cruelty, and he’d not like that. He calls himself Doctor Victor Von Doom, an honorable man.
Now this arc may be interesting to portray but could mess up the MCU, as Iron Man is dead, but they could set up a whole new timeline without messing up with a timeline that sees the superhero dead. Fans on Reddit have expressed that it’s foolish to have the actor return as anything other than an Iron Man variant. However, there is nothing that can be said about the plot of the movie except that Robert Downey Jr. makes a return.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release in 2026, while Avengers: Secret Wars is for 2027.
