This weekend has been a memorable one for Marvel Studios. Not only has 'Deadpool & Wolverine' broken records at the box office, but the MCU is getting Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. back on the roster... but this time as a villain. Good news, or a sign of desperation?
ADVERTISEMENTIt was the announcement that made nerds all over the world reach for their special sock, as Deadpool would say...
After some updates on upcoming MCU films, following the record-shattering opening weekend of Deadpool & Wolverine, a series of hooded figures took to the stage at San Diego Comic-Con Hall-H.
It had already been announced that Marvel’s upcoming Avengers film, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, had been scrapped following the firing of disgraced actor Jonathan Majors after he was convicted in December of assaulting a former girlfriend.
The next two team-ups would now be Avengers: Doomsday, which would then set up Avengers: Secret Wars.
The new title for the first film sent fans in a frenzy, as it confirmed the arrival of one of the Marvel comics’ biggest and most iconic villains, Victor Von Doom aka: Doctor Doom.
The directors of the last Avengers movies, Joe and Anthony Russo, are officially returning to direct the two upcoming sequels. When taking to the stage, they teased the identity of the actor about to be unveiled as Doom, “proof of the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multi-universe.”
In a shocking twist, one hooded figure stepped forwards, took off his mask, and revealed himself to be none other than Robert Downey Jr., who will be returning to the MCU after having played Iron Man from 2008 to 2019.
The moment brought the house down for 6,500 (screaming) fans:
“I like playing complicated characters,” he said as fans started chanting his name. “New mask, same task.”
Robert Downey Jr.’s return had already been teased and groaned about, as the multiverse shenanigans Marvel are currently playing with – a narrative cul-de-sac which removes any meaningful stakes as other versions of a character can come back to the roster, even if the principle timeline character has died – allows for some (un)welcome returns and Easter Egg cameos. Most were assuming that Marvel would bring back Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, in view of diminishing returns post-box office juggernaut Endgame.
The 59-year-old actor, whose last appearance was in Endgame, in which his character sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos, recently shared that he would be open to returning to the MCU in an interview with Esquire Magazine. When asked if he would ever return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that he is officially an Academy Award winner (for Oppenheimer), Downey Jr. replied: “Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA.”
“That role chose me. And look, I always say, ‘Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.’ It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win,” he added.
No one could have predicted they’d bring the actor back as a villain though...
Is RDJ’s return a good thing or a sign of desperation?
Marvel skipped San Diego Comic-Con last year, chiefly due to productions being halted because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the underwhelming performances of Thor: Love and Thunder, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels – the latter opening to an MCU low of $47 million (compared with Deadpool & Wolverine’s $205 million).
Clearly, the MCU had lost its way, and audiences were getting tired of having to do homework in order to make sense of all the ins and outs of their ongoing multiverse narratives.
ADVERTISEMENTThis year sees Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige back and selling the MCU as event cinema once more. And the almighty mic drop of Robert Downey Jr.’s reveal as Doctor Doom can be conflicting.
It is without a doubt a “when in doubt, look backwards” strategy, a desperate bit of nostalgia-pandering re-casting that feels like a last-ditch attempt to claw back to the glory days of Phases 1 – 3. It can also be viewed as a sign of creative laziness, especially if this Victor Von Doom ends up being a sinister doppelgänger variant of Tony “Iron Man” Stark – thereby robbing the iconic supervillain of his original backstory for what is essentially a casting gimmick.
"Run out of ideas? Oh well - out with the new and in with the old. Let’s just throw some Scrooge McDuck-levels of gold at Downey Jr. and he’ll save our butts."
Cynically, it makes sense: What better way to reclaim your Hollywood top spot than by bringing back the safe-hands who kickstarted the whole thing in 2008?
ADVERTISEMENTHowever, isn’t this a tiny bit inspired?
While we were hoping they’d bring in some new blood in the shape of another big name – RDJ's Oppeheimer co-star Cillian Murphy, anyone? - there is something undeniably savvy about having the MCU’s Big Hero now playing the newest Big Bad.
It’s a bold gambit, and one that crucially does not undo or undermine Iron Man’s emotional exit in 2019.
Plus, there’s no denying that Downey Jr. is great casting and the Russo Brothers know exactly what they’re doing – having helmed some of the MCU’s best films, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War and the Phase 3 culminating double-tap of Infinity War and Endgame.
ADVERTISEMENTThere is also something about this casting decision that reflects Marvel Studios’ willingness to imply – if not state outright – that they’ve gotten it wrong. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but putting aside the business strategy of trying to keep their now $30 billion franchise going with more than audience reactions of “Meh, that last one was alright, I suppose”, the casting of RDJ feels like an admission that their post-Endgame plans weren’t fit for purpose. They’ve messed up and have now course corrected – something that couldn’t have happened had they stuck to their original plans and simply recast the character of Kang.
However you choose to look at it, there’s no other announcement they could have made that could have triggered this amount of excitement for a franchise whose glory days seemed behind them. Yes, they’re harking back to those halcyon times but by doing so have seized an opportunity that was too good to miss, ensuring in the process that the MCU can still generate some buzz.
For our money, this gambit – however gimmicky – works. Plus, RDJ looks good in green, and his "brat" timing couldn't be more fortunate.
What if the gambit doesn’t pay off and RDJ isn't the "Marvel Jesus" Deadpool hoped he'd be? Then the MCU is well and truly doomed.
ADVERTISEMENTCaptain America: Brave New World is scheduled to open in theaters on 14 February 2025, followed by Thunderbolts*, which opens on 5 May 2025. The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens on 25 July 2025, and the double-tap of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars respectively have 1 May 2026 and 7 May 2027 opening dates.
