Robert Downey Jr. explains how Kevin Feige convinced him to reprise his role as Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Downey said Tuesday that he and Marvel Studios presidents have talked about the possibility of Downey returning to the MCU despite the death of his former character, Iron Man, Tony Stark, in “Avengers: Endgame” last year.
“He said, ‘If you come back, I think it’s going to stick with me,’” Downey told The Hollywood Reporter. “‘How do we not go back? How do we not disappoint? How do we continue to exceed expectations?’ … And he mentioned Victor von Doom. I looked at that character. And he said, ‘Let’s do Victor von Doom justice.’”
Doom is one of Marvel’s most powerful villains and will likely play a major role in the upcoming Avengers films and the wider MCU. In the Marvel comics, he is the main enemy of the Fantastic Four.
Downey initially met with Disney’s Bob Iger to discuss contributing to the company’s parks and location-based entertainment. The news that the “Iron Man” actor would be involved in the theme park expansion was announced at Disney’s D23 convention earlier this month, where the 59-year-old was revealed as part of the cast of two new attractions at Disneyland California Adventure park.
Iger, who already knew the concept of Downey taking on the role of Doctor Doom, agreed and immediately arranged for the actor and Feige to tour Disney’s Imagineering Campus in Glendale to see what projects were in the works.
“I want to talk about two people who are hard to impress, but even harder at the same time,” Downey told THR. “What’s happening now[at Imagineering]is way beyond what I ever expected.”
Downey was revealed as Doom at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego. Feige returned to the iconic Hall H on July 28 to promote Marvel Studios’ upcoming projects, bring exclusive footage, and more. The presentation featured a look at the upcoming 2025 films, including “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts,” “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” and several “Avengers” movies. During the event, men dressed as Doom came on stage, and one of them removed his mask to reveal Downey.
“New mask. Same job,” Downey told the audience. “I have to tell you, I love playing complex characters.”
