Kevin Feige on Casting Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom: 'It's Our Universe'

Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige has opened up astir the determination to bring Robert Downey Jr. backmost to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) arsenic Victor Von Doom, saying the multiverse allowed them to bash "whatever the heck we want."

The comic publication movie bigwig spoke astir the Iron Man star’s past with Marvel during a speech with Entertainment Weekly astatine CinemaCon 2026. The prime to spot Downey suit up arsenic the main villain for Avengers: Doomsday is 1 that MCU fans are inactive coming to presumption with, but Feige said overmuch of it comes down to Downey’s endowment arsenic an actor, his already adjacent ties to Marvel, and the powerfulness of the multiverse.

Downey helped airy the occurrence that is present a six-phase cinematic beingness erstwhile helium starred arsenic Tony Stark successful the archetypal Iron Man movie successful 2008, and it wasn’t until 2019's Avengers: Endgame that helium would retire. An 11-year narration with Marvel seemingly isn’t the benignant of happening truthful easy near behind, arsenic Feige says Marvel Studios "never mislaid interaction with Downey."

"He is ingrained successful the cloth of the MCU for evident reasons,” helium said, “and we would speech astir erstwhile and however and if determination could beryllium a return."

Some of these conversations took spot astir the clip Downey was preparing to present an Oscar-winning show successful Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. It was a relation that seems to person helped reignite the moving narration betwixt the Iron Man seasoned and Marvel, arsenic Feige recalls, “we thought, 'This could beryllium it. Let's bash it.'"

"It's our universe. It's a multiverse. We tin bash immoderate the heck we want," helium added. "He played the astir iconic hero. Let's person him play the astir iconic villain."

It seems the value of the bombshell determination wasn’t mislaid connected the Marvel Studios crew. Joe and Anthony Russo, the MCU-directing duo that has returned to helm Doomsday and its Avengers: Secret Wars follow-up, tease that this caller instrumentality connected Doctor Doom that Downey is acceptable to represent is 1 who could everlastingly change the Marvel universe.

"Certainly with Doom, it's the occupation successful the utmost successful that his powerfulness is truthful immense and truthful beyond," Anthony Russo told Entertainment Weekly. "But that truly liberates america each connected a originative level, creator level, to fig retired wherever the complexities and the vulnerabilities are successful the character.

"They whitethorn person seemingly unlimited carnal power, but determination is thing wrong them wherever they are vulnerable, wherever they are exposed, wherever [there are] places that they request to support adjacent much intently than their carnal selves. So I deliberation the existent amusive of the storytelling is successful that portion there."

With a formed that pulls from crossed the MCU’s catalog of astir 40 large question pictures, a plethora of TV spinoffs, and adjacent antecedently left-behind franchises similar the X-Men movies that got their commencement successful the 2000s, Doomsday is primed to beryllium 1 of the biggest moments successful Marvel history. We’ll larn much astir Downey’s Doom erstwhile the movie reassembles the Avengers connected its December 18, 2026, merchandise date, with Secret Wars acceptable to necktie up the latest saga 1 twelvemonth aboriginal erstwhile it premieres December 17, 2027.

More MCU projects, specified arsenic Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Punisher: One Last Kill, volition assistance span the spread successful the meantime. While we hold for much updates, you tin spot a archetypal look astatine Victor Von Doom that we received past September. You tin besides cheque retired our sum for the CinemaCon Doomsday trailer here, and our afloat recap of the past betwixt Iron Man and Doctor Doom here.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).