Marvel Casting Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom Proves the Billion Dollar Empire is Collapsing Badly When the Perfect Actor Was Just Right There

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is now slowly edging towards the end of its multiverse saga. Now, with a few more films left before the next Avengers-level threat in Avengers: Doomsday, it needed a strong villain that could actually become the reason for uniting the heroes of the multiverse.

Initially, Kang the Conquerer was supposed to be the one, but Jonathan Majors’ assault case scrapped the idea in the middle. The studio was in dire need of something big, and it had to bring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom to save the storyline. But some fans believe the retrun of Downey was not required as there was already someone else.

Mads Mikkelsen as Doctor Doom

When Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man died in Avengers: Endgame after saving the universe from Thanos, people thought it was his end finally. Although fans won’t complain if he is seen in the suit again, it can’t be denied that his character arc completed its circle, and the send-off was perfect for someone of his stature.

But now, since Marvel has announced his return as Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic-Con International, many were shocked at how it can be pulled off. Speculation like him being a variant of Tony Stark and him being from the universe of the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps started arising.

Amid all these, some fans brought up Mads Mikkelsen‘s name in the discussion of potential Doctor Doom instead of Downey. Mikkelsen appeared first and last in the MCU in Doctor Strange as Kaecilius.

According to some reports and rumors, Mikkelsen was initially in talks for Doctor Doom. But as Marvel went on for Downey, it suggests that the studio is quite desperate to pull up its falling reputation lately, after films and shows like The Marvels and She-Hulk. 

However, many also feel that Mikkelsen has a history of playing iconic villains and has that mysterious aura and looks for Doctor Doom. Besides that, in an interview with ScreenGeek, he revealed walking out from the audition for Mister Fantastic in Fantastic Four. When asked about playing Doctor Doom in a solo film, he said, “Yeah, it’s always interesting.”

Mikkelsen also said that he is interested in well-rounded characters and stories that show “two sides of the coin.” Doctor Doom, although being a villain is not a complete evil character. He is motivated by his ego and believes what he is doing is the only way to save the universe. So in a way, Doom would have perfectly fit his requirements here.

Robert Downey Jr. Might Not Be the Permanent Doctor Doom

Although Marvel is bringing Downey to save its reputation and increase the hype for the upcoming crossovers, a recent rumor suggests that his return might not be for a long time.

During a recent Q&A session with insider Alex Perez, a fan asked him about Downey’s status as Doctor Doom and whether he would be recast after Avengers: Secret Wars. Perez replied (via The Cosmic Circus), 

I think so, yes. Because the Earth RDJ’s Doom comes from isn’t from 616, so there’s a high chance he’ll be recast.

Moreover, Secret Wars will most probably be a soft reboot of MCU. It will be like a passing the torch moment where new faces and heroes will take forward the legacy and the stories of older ones will be finished, much like in Endgame. So it is quite likely that Downey won’t continue after that.

This opens up the possibility of Mads Mikkelsen’s version of Doom, although it will be interesting to see how Marvel will pull that off. As of now, he will most probably be seen again as Kaecilius in Doctor Strange 3 as Strange explores the Dark Dimension again with Clea.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will be released in theaters on May 01, 2026, and May 07, 2027.