Robert Downey Jr. Reveals MCU Return as Doctor Doom Started a Year Ago

Downey revealed Kevin Feige and Bob Iger's role in his comeback.

By Jenna Anderson

After portraying Tony Stark / Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade, Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the franchise's fold. In addition to being cast as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars movies, it was confirmed at this month's D23 Expo that Downey will be reprising his role of Iron Man in a new theme park ride at Disneyland's Avengers Campus. During a recent appearance on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Downey shared a bit of insight on how his dual Marvel returns came to be, revealing the role that both Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger had in the proceedings. 

"Probably a year ago, because Feige and I have kept in touch," Downey revealed. "We're pals. Favreau and Feige and I have kept in touch. I'm close with the Russo brothers. We have other business we're doing. So there's this little group of fellow travelers, and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger. And I had an idea, outside of the cinematic universe, for how I could be of service to what's going on in the parks and all their location-based energy. And Susan 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...' And Susan was like, 'Wait, wait, come back as what?' And then we both realized, over time, that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy. [He's] a very sophisticated, creative thinker about, 'How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to to beat expectations?' And he brought up Victor von Doom, and I looked into [the] character, and I was like, 'Wow.' And later on, he goes, 'Let's get Victor von Doom right. Let's get that right.' So then I said to Kevin, 'Can I go talk to Bob Iger?' He goes, 'About?' I go, 'About everything.'"

"And I'd gone to Bob's house, which I don't know how to describe that experience," Downey continued. "I've had a lot of really cool experiences. We go to Iger's pad, and we sit down and start saying, 'I just really want to be...' He goes, 'I like it.' I was like, 'He likes it.' He goes 'Come by the Imagineering campus.' Feige and I go to the Imagineering campus and — you want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time. I can't say too much about it, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible. no wonder it was numinous to me. It's also the only way that I felt like I can give a certain entertainment-seeking audience, something that they may have a hankering to have an experience of, in a way where I can continue to develop my interest in the future of entertainment. Where the hell else should you go back there? So it's this crazy, weird thing that's going on, and if that all goes to sh-t, we'll just remake what many people say is the greatest film of all time."

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What Is Avengers: Secret Wars About?

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

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