Robert Downey Jr. Has A Few Very Particular Targets With Marvel’s Physician Doom

Robert Downey Jr. is opening up about his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it appears like it should be just a little difficult. He not too long ago sat down with The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast to discuss his return to the franchise he first helped kick-start in 2008, and concurrently managed to get into the main points of how he’ll return to the MCU whereas remaining as imprecise as humanly doable. One factor’s for sure, although: he has a powerful imaginative and prescient in thoughts, one he shared straight with Walt Disney Firm CEO Bob Iger.

After noting that he is saved in contact with Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, and the Russo Brothers, Downey advised “Awards Chatter” that he first bought a gathering arrange with Iger a couple of yr in the past –- for an concept he had associated to Disney’s theme parks. “So, there’s this little kinda group of fellow vacationers, and I had this intuition that I wished to go to Bob Iger and I had an concept exterior of the Cinematic Universe for the way I could possibly be of service to what is going on on within the parks,” he defined. Throughout one assembly with Feige, Downey and his spouse and producing associate, Susan Downey, have been intrigued when Feige floated the concept of what the long run would possibly seem like, as Downey put it, “should you have been to return again.”

It is unclear how precisely this line of thought tied into Downey’s plan for Disney parks, although experiences chairmen Josh D’Amaro revealed at San Diego Comedian-Con in July that Avengers Campus is about to double in dimension, with Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man enjoying a serious function in two new rides. “Stark Flight Lab” will probably be set within the late Stark Industries head honcho’s scientific headquarters, whereas Tony Stark may also function in a Thanos-themed, world-hopping journey referred to as “Avengers Infinity Protection.”

Downey additionally defined that the Feige assembly led to 1 with Iger, then a gathering on the Imagineering Campus. “I am unable to say an excessive amount of, however what’s going on there, proper now, is, oh past my expectation of what was doable,” he advised THR, calling the expertise “numinous.” “I felt like I may give a sure entertainment-seeking viewers one thing that they could have a hankering to have an expertise,” Downey added, noting that the brand new tasks additionally fulfill his personal curiosity in “the way forward for leisure.” It is robust to say whether or not these feedback relate to MCU concepts or parks concepts; Imagineering is the time period given to theme park and attraction creation, however Downey intriguingly appeared to speak about each the parks and the films like they’re one and the identical.

Elsewhere within the interview, Downey appeared to counter the concept that his return to the MCU will probably be something even remotely akin to a retread. When describing his preliminary assembly about Victor Von Doom with Feige, he referred to as the Marvel Studios President “a really subtle, inventive thinker” with a plan “about ‘how can we not go backwards, how can we not disappoint expectations, how can we proceed to beat expectations?'” That plan clearly entails Downey as Victor Von Doom, the traditional Marvel supervillain who has most typically appeared in “Implausible 4” tales. Downey stated Feige introduced up the character first by stating, “Let’s get Victor Von Doom proper. Let’s get that proper.”

Along with his overarching targets to do one thing new and expectation-defying within the franchise, Downey stated he had a dialog with Iger at his house about his plans for an MCU return, and the CEO was into them. “I begin saying I simply actually wanna be–” Downey advised THR, not truly entering into the certainly spoiler-filled particulars of the dialog. “He goes ‘I prefer it,’ I used to be like, ‘He likes it,'” Downey recalled.

However will everybody else? Thus far, the response to Downey’s return has been blended, and for good purpose. Regardless of his religion in Feige, a Downey return looks like a serious studio selecting to as soon as once more “play the hits” after spending years crafting storylines (some nice, some not) that includes various new heroes who have not had the prospect to really shine but. There’s additionally the truth that Doom is canonically of Romani descent, and Downey is not. Even when none of that suggestions the scales for you, it is nonetheless irritating to listen to information stories revealing that (per Selection) Downey requested for a supermassive payday, non-public aircraft journey, a “trailer encampment,” safety workers, and the re-hiring of the Russos in change for rejoining the MCU. His story a couple of pleasant chat with Iger, who memorably dissed the Hollywood unions that went on strike final yr, is simply one other element that makes Downey’s MCU return really feel extra exhausting than thrilling. Hopefully, although, Marvel will show naysayers mistaken: it actually has earlier than.

“Avengers: Doomsday” is about to succeed in theaters on Might 1, 2026.