Long before he was cast Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was reportedly in the running for a role as Doctor Doom. All these years later, that casting is coming to fruition as Downey’s Doom is set to appear as the primary antagonist in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. If fans are lucky, he might even appear before then; after all, Victor Von Doom is not only one of the biggest villains in the Marvel stable, but also the archenemy of Marvel’s First Family as well.
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A new report from Jeff Sneider, the Hollywood insider who initially reported Downey’s surprise hell turn prior to San Diego Comic-Con, says Downey will appear in a post-credits scene attached to The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Why is RDJ returning to the MCU?
According to Variety, Downey is set to earn one of Hollywood’s largest-ever paydays for returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The trade says the Russo Brothers will be making upwards of $80 million from the projects while Downey himself will be significantly north of that.
“It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” Downey said in a Variety video last month. “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea… It really is crazy because we look pretty good. I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: “Do we still look kind of OK?” I’m like, ‘We look pretty good.’”
In a separate interview, Downey revealed he’ll never bet against Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and his dedication to the franchise he oversees. “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”
Marvel Studios’ย The Fantastic Four: First Stepsย โ starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Mass-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus โ opens only in theaters July 25th, 2025, as part of the MCU Phase 6.
Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includesย Captain America: Brave New Worldย (February 14th, 2025),ย Thunderbolts*ย (May 5th, 2025),ย The Fantastic Four: First Stepsย (July 25th, 2025),ย Bladeย (November 7th, 2025),ย Avengers: Doomsdayย (May 1st, 2026), andย Avengers: Secret Warsย (May 7th, 2027).