Robert Downey Jr. returns to Marvel as Doctor Doom, the new big villain of the MCU

The actor will leave behind his role as Iron Man in the MCU and will become the next big villain that the Avengers will have to defeat in “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” (Marvel Studios)

Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his retirement in 2019, Marvel Studios announced during its panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The actor, best known for his role as Iron Man, will play the villain Doctor Doom in two upcoming Avengers films titled Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, scheduled for 2026 and 2027, respectively.

These two feature films will be directed by the Russo brothers, who were in charge of the last two chapters of the saga that marked a before and after in the film franchise under the command of president Kevin Feige. Filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo won the acceptance of the public and marked a high point in their career with Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU as the villain Doctor Doom in the films “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” scheduled for 2026 and 2027 (Instagram/@marvelstudios)

Downey, fresh off his best supporting actor Oscar win for Oppenheimer, appeared during the final minutes of Marvel Studios’ Comic-Con panel, just seconds after Feige introduced the Russos on stage. The actor ducked into a group of people dressed as Dr. Doom and eventually stepped forward, removing the character’s mask he was wearing.

Robert, dressed in light green, was greeted with applause and cheers from Marvel fans present at the panel. Once they had calmed down, the actor said from the stage: “New mask, same job.” Joe Russo also highlighted the complexity of the character of Victor Von Doom and stressed the need to have “the best actor in the world” for the role.

“Avengers: Doomsday” will be released in 2026, replacing the previously planned “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” following Jonathan Majors’ departure from the project (Twitter)

The actor recently spoke positively about his possible return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: “I’ve become surprisingly open to the idea,” he told Variety at the time. He also spoke about his 10 years as Iron Man: “It’s in my DNA. He’s probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than me.”

Avengers: Doomsday will replace the previously planned Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The latter was set to feature the definitive version of the villain Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, variants of whom also appear in the Loki series and the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania film. The actor was set to play the antagonist, but was removed from the project following a guilty verdict for harassment and assault.

“Avengers: Secret Wars,” scheduled for 2027, is based on the 1980s comics and is considered a childhood dream of the Russo brothers (Twitter)

Avengers: Secret Wars, on the other hand, is widely considered to be a childhood dream of the Russos. Based on the 1980s comics, it tells the story of an all-powerful being called the Beyonder who transports heroes and villains to a planet to fight each other to the death. Overall, this narrative is considered to be one of the most important in the history of Marvel comics.

The Russo brothers, who not only made Endgame but also Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, have expressed their excitement about returning to the franchise. “It’s the biggest story Marvel Comics has ever told,” said Anthony Russo. Stephen McFeely, the writer of several Marvel hits, will also be in charge of writing the new installments, consolidating a team full of experience.

The return of Robert Downey Jr. and the new Avengers films seek to revitalize the MCU, which has faced challenges since his departure (Disney/Marvel Studios)

Downey’s return and the new Avengers films come on the heels of the recent success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which posted record-breaking numbers as the highest-grossing R-rated film in its opening weekend. The current landscape thus appears to be reinvigorating interest in the MCU, which has faced challenges filling the void left by Downey’s departure.