San Diego, CA – July 27: Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU as Doctor Doom, … [+]
Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was inevitable, but Marvel fans were shocked to see the 59-year-old actor appear as supervillain Doctor Doom.
Downey Jr.’s casting Announced At San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, MCU president Kevin Feige announced that the director duo, the Russo brothers,Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame), and would return to direct two more Avengers sequels. Secret Wars and DoomsdayThe latter will introduce Downey Jr.’s Doom.
Who is Doctor Doom?
Doctor Doom is a longtime enemy of the Fantastic Four, a complex and fearsome villain well versed in both magic and science. Doom hides his face behind a mask due to a minor scar on his good looks, and in a comic book variant, he purposely scars himself.
Doom is considered one of the most iconic Marvel villains of all time, and comic book fans have been eager to see the character make an appearance on the big screen.
MCU fans have been eager to see Robert Downey Jr. return as Iron Man, but the announcement that he would be returning as Doctor Doom came as a surprise to fans.
Like Tony Stark, Doom is an eccentric, charismatic genius with a huge ego, but the good doctor is supposed to be a unique individual, not just another version of Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom sparks backlash
Somewhat confusingly, Downey Jr. isn’t playing Tony Stark’s warped, multiverse version of Doom, but rather Victor Von Doom, a comic-book-accurate character who’s new to the MCU.
Fans online reacted with confusion and ridicule.
Many expressed disappointment that Doom, a hugely popular villain, seemed to have been wasted for a casting gimmick.
Some people jokingly predicted that Marvel’s X-Men would be played by the Avengers.
A certain X (Twitter) user said, Sarcastic Post Another commentator mocks Marvel’s desperate nostalgia. I got it. Even Reddit wasn’t impressed with the casting.
Kang will not return to the MCU
The conversation quickly shifted to Kang, the multifaceted supervillain played by Jonathan Majors, who was dropped by Marvel Studios after being convicted of assaulting and harassing a former girlfriend.
Kang was meant to be the villain of the next Avengers saga, Avengers: Kang Dynasty (It has since been discontinued).
Fans were unsure if Marvel would reprise the character, as Khan is the master of a multiverse of many different variants.
With the announcement that Downey Jr. will be taking on the role of Doctor Doom, it was revealed that Khan will not be returning in the MCU.
This surprise casting Deadpool and Wolverine Strong opening weekend It’s received positive reactions from fans, the Marvel film pokes fun at the unpopular MCU multiverse storyline, cynically mocks the idea of nostalgia casting, and boasts a solid performance from Hugh Jackman as the multiverse’s Wolverine.
It seems that nostalgia is more than just a joke for Kevin Feige’s MCU. The pinnacle of past glory seems to be the future for Marvel Studios.
