Is Doctor Doom going to be the real hero of Avengers: Doomsday? The Russo Brothers tip their hand about how Robert Downey Jr. will portray the iconic villain.
One of the most interesting announcements in the history of the MCU is the reveal that Robert Downey Jr. would be making his grand return to the franchise, not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom. With him trading in the mantle of hero for the mask of a villain, fans have been wondering what exact role he’ll be playing in Avengers: Doomsday. Certainly things seem to be shaping up for the big screen debut of God Doom, but could there be even more depth waiting beneath the surface?
This topic was touched upon by the Russo Brothers during a recent interview with Omelete. When speaking on why they chose to return to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday, they touched upon the fine line that divides a hero from a villain. While they didn’t directly say it was a path Robert Downey Jr. would follow as Doctor Doom, it seems heavily implied that the character will see himself as the true hero despite his actions over the course of the film.
“We love villains who think they are the heroes of their own stories,” Joe Russo explained. “That’s when they become three-dimensional and when they become more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a well-shaped, three-dimensional character for the audience.”
How Was Robert Downey Jr. Cast As Doctor Doom?
Given that it was announced Robert Downey Jr. would be playing Doctor Doom on the same night the Russo Brothers were confirmed to return to direct Avengers: Doomsday, many fans assumed that the decisions were made at the same time. However, it seems that was far from the truth. According to Joe Russo, the decision to bring Downey back came long before they agreed to come back to the MCU, and they even turned down the offer at first.
“That was Kevin [Feige], and interesting enough about that was, that conversation was had a while ago. And then Robert tried to talk us into doing it, and we said ‘no,’ weirdly because we said we wouldn’t come back.”
“We didn’t have a story. We didn’t have a way in. So we were resistant for a while. And then one day, Stephen McFeely, one of our key collaborators, said: ‘I have an idea.’ He called us, and we went, ‘That’s the story, that story has to be told. It’s a really powerful story.'”
It’s interesting to hear that Robert Downey Jr. was one of the people to try to bring the Russo Brothers back to the MCU, not the other way around. This, surprisingly, is some good news for fans worried about Avengers: Doomsday. It seems that Stephen McFeely had a plan for Doctor Doom long before anything was finalized, suggesting that the story may have been further developed than fans thought at the time.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters in May 2026. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
