After more than a decade of embodying the iconic leader of the Avengers and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) star, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Robert Downey Jr. is gearing up to shed his heroic persona and dive into a darker realm, portraying the sinister Doctor Doom (Victor Von Doom) of the Fantastic Four in two forthcoming Marvel films.
In a recent chat with Entertainment Tonight, Joe and Anthony Russo, the co-directors behind the last two Avengers blockbusters, were quizzed about reuniting with Downey for Avengers: Doomsday and his preparations for this dramatic transformation. "Crafting this character is an incredibly intense journey," Joe revealed. "He's completely engrossed in it. He's utterly focused."
He elaborated, "[Downey] is penning his character's backstory, conceptualizing costume designs… I believe he has a penchant for deeply layered, three-dimensional roles, and he senses a genuine opportunity to explore that with this particular character."
In July, Downey stunned the Comic-Con audience by dramatically removing his mask on stage to unveil his casting as Doctor Doom. Fans had presumed Downey's MCU tenure had concluded with Iron Man's demise in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
Addressing the Comic-Con throng, Downey quipped, "New mask, same mission." Joe, who was also present on stage, added, "If we're going to bring Victor Von Doom to life on screen – one of comics' most intricate characters – we need the finest actor on the planet."
Previously, Doctor Doom has been portrayed by Joseph Culp in the unreleased 1994 film The Fantastic Four, Julian McMahon in 2005's Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Toby Kebbell in the critically panned 2015 reboot Fantastic Four.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release in May 2026, with its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, set to hit theaters in May 2027.
