Marvel Studios stunned the superhero movie audience last month when it announced a double whammy. Not only would the Russo Brothers return to direct the next two back-to-back filmed Avengers movies, but Robert Downey Jr. himself would return in an entirely different role as Victor von Doom. Since then, we’ve heard nothing about how this deal came to be, except that it involved a lot of money and perks. After a full month though, Downey Jr. opened up about how this bizarre industry-shocking casting came to be.
In an awards-season podcast with The Hollywood Reporter, Downey Jr reflected on several things including his journey, his recent turns in Oppenheimer and HBO’s The Sympathizer, his upcoming Broadway debut, as well as his planned remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic Vertigo. Downey also touched upon the topic of him being cast as Victor von Doom. He explained that he always remained in touch with the core MCU think tank, which includes Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Iron Man director Jon Favreau, and the Russo Brothers themselves. He eventually revealed that conversations about his return as Doom started as early as a year ago. Ultimately, it was both him and Feige who hit upon the idea of having him return in the MCU in a way that avoids retreading familiar ground while simultaneously not disappointing fans.
Probably a year ago … Because you know, Favreau and Feige and I kept in touch. I’m close with the Russo Brothers; we have other business we’re doing. So there’s this little kind of group of fellow travelers … And I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger … And I had an idea outside of the Cinematic Universe of how I could be of service to what’s going on in the parks in all their location-based energy. And Susan and I were sitting down wtih Feige at one point and he said, “It just keeps occurring to me that if you were to come back…”. And Susan was like, “Wait! Wait! Come back as what?” And I was like …
We both realized over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy – a very, sophisticated, creative thinker. “How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations?” And he brought up Victor von Doom. And I looked into this character and I was like, “Wow!” And I go … And later on he goes, “Let’s get Victor von Doom right. Let’s get that right”.
Downey then suggested talking to Disney CEO Bob Iger directly about this idea. Describing himself as being completely enamoured with a visit to Iger’s house, they then pitched the idea to Iger who instantly liked it.
So then, I said to Kevin, “Can I go talk to Bob Iger?” And he goes, “About?”. And I said, “About everything”. And I go to Bob’s house. I don’t know how to describe that experience – I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences. We go down to Iger’s pad. We sit down, and I start saying … And he goes, “I like it.” I was like, “He likes it”. He goes, “Come by the Imagineering campus”. Feige and I go to the Imagineering campus and … You want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time.
This is … I can’t say too much about it, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible, that no wonder it was numinous to me. And it’s also the only way that I felt like I can give a certain entertainment-seeking audience, something that they may have a hankering to have an experience of, in a way where I can continue to develop my interest in the future of entertainment. Where the hell else should you go back there? So it’s this crazy, weird thing that’s going on, and if that all goes to sh*t, we’ll just remake what many people say is the greatest film of all time.
There are a few giveaways from this conversation with regards to the movie’s plot, but describing Doom’s character as a “creative, sophisticated thinker” and having conversations as early as a year ago suggest Marvel is indeed putting their might behind bringing Doom to life in the best possible manner. This should hopefully quell some fans who were concerned about Downey’s inclusion being stunt casting and a desperate attempt at Marvel wanting to reinstate its lost glory. It’s also telling just how secretive this whole deal has been, with no one outside of the upper echelon having any inkling about the deal until it was announced.
Avengers: Doomsday is slated to hit theaters on May 1, 2026. Filming begins in London next year.
