In a jaw-dropping moment at Saturday's San Diego Comic-Con Hall H panel, Robert Downey Jr announced his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), not as his famed character Iron Man, but as one of the most iconic villains, Doctor Doom. The panel was filled with hooded figures donning masks reminiscent of the notorious comic book villain, Victor Von Doom , known for his mastery of both sorcery and science. Amidst this mysterious setup, Downey Jr.
dramatically took off his mask, much to the astonishment and excitement of the fans. "New mask. Same task.
What'd I tell you? I like playing complicated characters," he said, as the crowd erupted in chants of his name. The Russo Brothers expressed their enthusiasm for Downey Jr.'s return and emphasized that while he may have a "new mask," the goal remains the same for him, the Marvel team, and everyone involved: to "create the greatest possible experience" for moviegoers.
Fans left the panel buzzing with anticipation for the next phase of the MCU, eagerly awaiting the epic battles and complex characters that lie ahead. Taking to Twitter, fans shared their excitement to see RDJ back in action. "Welcome back, legend" wrote a fan, while another shared their shock over the actor turning a dake darker for his return and quoted a famous 'Batman' dialogue by Christian Bale , "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
" Interestingly, Downey Jr. auditioned to play Doctor Doom in 20th Century Fox's ' Fantastic Four ' movie before he landed the role of Tony Stark in Iron Man. Jon Favreau revealed during the retrospective discussion with Kevin Feige, "I remember you had all met with him already for something like Doctor Doom or something on another project.
I think he had come through on maybe 'Fantastic Four', so everybody sort of knew who he was," he added. This will be Downey Jr's MCU return after winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor this year for his role in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer', and had seemingly retired from the Marvel films in 2019. Marvel fans have complained in recent years about over-complicated plotlines and the departure of beloved characters, including Downey Jr's Iron Man, with some calling for a wholesale reboot of the movies.
The franchise was also rocked by domestic violence revelations about actor Jonathan Majors, who had been set to become the major new supervillain across multiple films. Majors, who was convicted for assaulting and harassing his then-girlfriend, was dropped by Marvel. The answer to who will fill that role was seemingly answered by Downey Jr.
's return as a villain. Joe and Anthony Russo - the brothers who previously oversaw 2019's ' Avengers : Endgame', which briefly became the highest-grossing film of all time at more than $2.79 billion - will also return.
They will direct 'Avengers: Doomsday', in May 2026, and 'Avengers: Secret Wars' in May 2027. Adding to the excitement, another significant villain, the cosmic entity Galactus , was announced as the antagonist for 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps', directed by 'WandaVision' director Matt Shakman..
