Many Marvel fans have condemned the decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.
This weekend, it was revealed at ComicCon that the Iron Man star, whose character was killed off in The Avengers:game overwill return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a completely different setting.
Downey Jr. has been announced as the villain in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, which will be titled Avengers: Judgment Day.
While specific details about the actor’s appearance have not been confirmed, the film’s directors, the Russo brothers, said the casting was made possible by the multiverse — a series of different worlds featuring characters both ancient and modern, making the possibilities endless.
This suggests that Downey Jr. will play a villain in the Tony Stark/Iron Man character. This idea is believed to have come about after Jonathan Majors was dropped from the MCU, as his character Kang the Destroyer was originally supposed to be the main villain in the upcoming Avengers film.
While the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con was initially met with enthusiastic response, online response has been more lukewarm. Some are calling it a “desperate move” to revive what they see as a faltering franchise, while others are frustrated that Downey Jr. is simply returning to the MCU after winning an Oscar for his role in “Iron Man.” Oppenheimer.
The film has also been criticized for the fact that Doctor Doom is of gypsy descent—a detail that shapes the character’s backstory in a crucial way—and casting Downey Jr. strips the character of that fact.
Additionally, it’s assumed that since the bulk of the movie will be about the Avengers facing off against a character resembling their old leader, the character won’t wear his mask as much as he does in the comics.
“It might work, but right now it just seems like a desperate move to get people excited again,” one fan complained, adding: “I really like Robert Downey Jr…. but honestly this just seems desperate.”
“Robert Downey Jr. playing Dr. Doom is the most Marvel thing I can think of, really… just completely abandoning any attempt at something original,” one fan said, while another stated: “I may be in the minority, and this is not at all a disrespect to the greatness of RDJ who I love, but this seems extremely lazy. I’m not saying it wouldn’t work because it definitely could, but… I’m not excited at all.”
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Even the least critical Marvel fans were thrilled with the actor’s return to the MCU, with many calling it “historic” and excited to see how his appearance would impact certain characters, including Spider-Man.
However, there are comic book readers who don’t like the fact that this would diminish the rivalry between Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four characters Reed Richards and Sue Storm, who are set to be played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby.
The actor first appeared as Iron Man in 2008, and reprised the role in 10 Marvel films over the next 11 years. Downey Jr. has previously said he would “happily” return to Marvel, saying, “It’s part of my DNA.”
When we directed Avengers: Endgame“Joe and I really thought this was the end of the road for us in the MCU,” the Russo brothers told Marvel fans at Comic-Con. “Since then, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to see a potential way forward with you.”
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