When Robert Downey Jr. returned to the Marvel universe at Comic-Con, it set off more questions than answers. Why would Downey return to the MCU just a few years after his final Marvel outing? The better question is how. How could Downey return to the MCU if Tony Stark died in Avengers: Endgame?
On The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Downey revealed that a meeting between himself, his wife, Susan, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige sparked his interest in a second go-around with Marvel.
“Susan [Downey] and I were sitting down with Feige at one point, and he said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me that if you were to come back,” Downey explained. “And Susan was like, ‘Wait, come back as what?’ We both realized over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy, a very sophisticated creative thinker.”
Downey had many questions — rightfully so. Feige wasn’t interested in resurrecting Tony. Instead, he had a different plan involving Victor Von Doom, the notorious villain best known for his battles with Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.
“How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations?” Downey said. “And he [Feige] brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked into this character, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ Later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let’s get that right.’”
Presenting Victor Von Doom.
Robert Downey Jr. stars in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, in theaters May 2026. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/xWQx9owZjG
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024
The comeback was nearly complete, but Downey and Feige needed one more stamp of approval from Disney CEO Bob Iger. Downey met at Iger’s home and explained his intentions to play Doom. Luckily, Iger was on board and liked the idea.
Fast forward to the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, when Downey unmasked himself as Doom, making the return official. Downey will headline Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Downey will reportedly be paid around $100 million for two Avengers films.
Avengers: Doomsday is dated for May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars comes out on May 7, 2027.