3 Ways That Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Is Already Mirroring His 11 Year Arc as Iron Man

While there is not a lot known about Doctor Doom’s role in Avengers: Doomsday, what has been revealed is very similar to Robert Downey Jr.’s last Marvel Cinematic Universe role of Iron Man. There have been a ton of rumors about why Downey was cast as Doctor Doom after playing Iron Man for 11 years. The most obvious reason is that Downey’s name will sell the new crossover movie. However, there are some fans who feel that Tony Stark was always Victor Von Doom, which explains Downey playing Doom from another world. There are also plenty of strong parallels between Iron Man’s character arc and what we know about Doctor Doom.

The Avengers: Doomsday trailer and the clues given at San Diego Comic-Con have convinced many people that Doctor Doom was once a great man, and that his role in becoming the main villain in the MCU is similar to Iron Man’s role as a hero.

3) Iron Man and Doctor Doom Did It for Love

In the MCU, Tony Stark started out as a flamboyant playboy, but things changed as his time in the movies rolled on. By the time that Avengers: Infinity War rolled around, Iron Man wanted to marry Pepper Potts, and he did so by the time Avengers: Endgame arrived, as the two settled down and had a child named Morgan. In the final battle for Earth with Thanos, Iron Man did the unthinkable, and he sacrificed his own life to save the universe and to give his daughter a chance to grow up safely on Earth. His final act was done for love.

Based on early rumors, the Doctor Doom in this movie is from a future Earth in the multiverse where he ruled Latveria with his wife and child. This would line up with events from the comic book version of “Secret Wars” and could set up Doom’s fantasy world in that movie, whether it is with Valeria or with Susan Storm as it was in the comics. However, the main thing to note is that his goal is to fix the world after his family’s death when the incursions destroyed his Earth. Doom’s entire drive is based on the love he had for his family.

2) Doctor Doom Was a Self-Built Man

The biggest thing to note about Iron Man is that Tony Stark was the spoiled son of an industrial giant, but he had to grow up fast. When he was injured and abducted by terrorists, he had to figure out how to survive. With the help of one man in a cave in Afghanistan, Tony built his first suit of armor, and Iron Man was born. Through alien invasions and worldwide tragedies, Tony kept building himself up to be stronger and stronger so he could save the world.

Based on the trailers and early looks, Doctor Doom followed the exact same path. He has built himself up to be the most powerful and smartest human on Earth. His Earth was seemingly destroyed by an incursion, and he has worked to figure out a way to rebuild things and regain what he lost. In the comics, Doctor Doom is a master inventor, building his incredible armor and weapons, and he is a master of magic, which he appears to be utilizing in the MCU. Like Iron Man, Doom built himself up stronger and stronger to save his world.

1) Doctor Doom and Iron Man Had Rivalries With Other Heroes

Iron Man and Captain America were two of the first Avengers, and they ended up as close friends and then terrible enemies. This happened because of a split in their beliefs, where Iron Man believed in the Sokovia Accords and Cap believed in freedom from government control. They fought, but then eventually had to team up in the end to stop Thanos and save Earth. What happens with Doctor Doom remains to be seen, but there are two things to note here.

In the San Diego Comic-Con trailer, the Invisible Woman said that the Doctor Doom on her Earth was always “the smartest guy in the room” and that he “used to be different” before he lost everything he loved. In the comics, Doom has always had a powerful rivalry with Reed Richards, which should play out in the movies. However, a different rivalry could be the biggest similarity. There are strong rumors that when Steve Rogers was time-traveling, he caused the incursion that destroyed Doctor Doom’s world. Doctor Doom could hate the former Captain America in ways that Iron Man never did, and both of Downey’s characters could have something against Steve Rogers in the MCU.

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