Benedict Cumberbatch Reacts to Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Casting: “What the F—?”

January 22, 2025, 1:01pm

Even Doctor Strange’s all-seeing Eye of Agamotto didn’t see it coming. During its San Diego Comic-Con presentation in July, Marvel Studios announced that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — not as Iron Man, but as the Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). The news came as a surprise for Downey’s Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame co-star Benedict Cumberbatch, who revealed his reaction to Downey’s Doctor Doom casting in a new interview.5

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Cumberbatch told Variety he was watching Marvel’s Comic-Con panel live when Downey was unmasked as the actor playing Victor von Doom. He then immediately texted Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige: “‘What the f—?’”

“And then quickly added, ‘Good what-the-f—,’” Cumberbatch said. “I mean, good what-the-f—.’”  

The actor, who first starred as master of the mystic arts Stephen Strange in 2016’s Doctor Strange, reprised his role in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok and two Avengers movies before going on to appear in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and a Doctor Strange sequel, 2022’s In the Multiverse of Madness. Cumberbatch also confirmed that plans have changed, and he won’t be in Doomsday despite previously confirming his involvement in the fifth Avengers movie. Instead, Strange will be on a “hiatus” by the time of Doomsday, but will be back in time for Secret Wars in 2027.

In fact, Strange is “quite central” to the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed Secret Wars, which caps off Marvel’s Multiverse Saga and Phase Six of the MCU. (In the 2015 comic book storyline of the same name, Strange was the Sheriff of Agamotto and Right Hand of God Emperor Doom, who reshaped reality to his will after reality-destroying incursions.)

“I’m really excited not only to work with the Russo brothers again, but also to have
Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom,” Cumberbatch previousy told the outlet TV Groove. “I think there’s going to be some really cool developments ahead, and I’m excited to see what happens next.”

While Cumberbatch and Downey won’t reunite until Secret Wars, former Captain America actor Chris Evans is reportedly set to return in Doomsday in a mystery role. (After retiring Steve Rogers in 2019’s Endgame, Evans made a cameo in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, his character from 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer.)

Marvel Studios has dated the Downey-led Avengers: Doomsday for May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars for May 7, 2027.