Robert Downey Jr. Finally Explains How Doctor Doom Casting Happened

Robert Downey Jr.The return of in the MCU is not happening as many Marvel fans expected, and its casting for Doctor Fatalis was another divisive decision. Kevin Fig. Now the former Iron Man The star discussed how his surprising reveal at San Diego Comic-Con came about and elaborated on the conversation with Feige that led to the monumental moment.

In an interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Downey Jr. opened up about his casting as Doom for the first time, sharing a bit more detail about how it came about. He began:

“So, probably a year ago… because, you know, [Kevin] Feige and I have stayed in touch. We’re friends. Favreau, Feige and I have stayed in touch. I’m close with the Russo brothers; we have other things going on. So there’s this little group of fellow travelers and I had this instinct to go to Bob Iger and I had an idea outside of the cinematic universe about how I could be of service to what’s happening in the parks and all of their location-based entertainment.

During the conversation with Feige, Downey Jr. and his wife Susan discovered that the Marvel boss never stopped thinking and had the perfect idea for how Downey Jr. could return to the franchise on screen in a way other than returning as Iron Man. He continued:

“Susan and I were sitting with Feige at one point, and he said to me, ‘I keep thinking if you came back…’ and Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?’ And then we both realized over time that this was another thing that dispelled any doubt that anyone had about this guy, a very sophisticated creative thinker, about how we can not go back, how we can not disappoint expectations, how we can continue to exceed expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked up that character and I was like, ‘Wow.’”

Later, Kevin said, “Let’s make Victor Von Doom a success. Let’s make this success a success.”

“So I asked Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’ He said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Everything.’ I went to Bob’s house and I don’t know how to describe the experience. I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences, but I went to Iger’s house and we sat down and he said, ‘I love this.’ I said, ‘He loves this.’ He said, ‘Come to the Imagineering campus.’ Feige and I went to the Imagineering campus and you’re talking about two guys who are not easy to be surprised by, especially at the same time… I can’t say too much, but what’s happening there right now is beyond my expectations.”

Will Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom character appear before Avengers: Doomsday?

Although there’s a long wait before Downey Jr. gets his moment to shine as Doctor Doom in the 2026 film Avengers: Judgment DayThere are many rumors circulating that fans won’t have to wait that long to see the actor make his debut as the legendary Marvel villain. If rumors are to be believed, next year, Fantastic Four: First Steps will repeat The Avengers’ Thanos post-credits teases and introduces the new main antagonist of the Multiverse saga.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is already on its way to becoming a key part of the Marvel franchise. The last attempt to bring Marvel’s first family to the big screen in 2015 turned out to be one of the worst comic book movies in Marvel’s catalog. While Matt Shakman’s film avoids one of that film’s biggest problems—the dreaded origin story curse—it still has plenty of hurdles to overcome to ensure it doesn’t join 2023’s list of shame.

The film is reportedly set in an alternate reality, and we already know that the planet-eating Galactus is the villain of the film, but that doesn’t mean Downey Jr.’s version of Victor Von Doom is out of the picture. In fact, as one of the Fantastic Four’s main adversaries in Marvel Comics, this is the perfect place to find Doom and tease his journey through time and space to become the greatest threat the MCU has seen to date.

Naturally, until Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters, one can only speculate as to whether, and how, Downey Jr. will make his debut. Marvel Studios doesn’t give away secrets like free candy, and anything involving Doctor Doom is likely to be one of the best-kept secrets in the entire multiverse saga. With or without Downey Jr. making an appearance, Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on July 25, 2025.

Avengers: Judgment Day
will be released in theaters on May 1, 2026.