Robert Downey Jr. played the infamous character Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man for many years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He left the series after his character sacrificed himself in Avengers: Endgame. However, it has been confirmed this year at the San Diego Comic-Con that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU, not as a hero, but as the villain, Doctor Doom. He will assume this role in the 2026 film: Avengers: Doomsday. When the announcement was first made, fans were shocked and thrilled.
Many labelled it as Marvel returning to its past greatness, which evoked a sense of nostalgia for many fans. However, after the initial shock had worn off, a surge of criticism arose from numerous perspectives and sides of the ordeal. Many people argued that Marvel was making a desperate attempt to stay relevant, believing it was a mistake that would cost Marvel any sense of originality. Others disagree, arguing that this will connect further into the multiverse aspect of the MCU, the narrative. However, multiverse theories were proven false when it was revealed that RDJ would not portray a multiverse variant of Tony Stark, but instead would be the comic character Victor Von Doom, a brand new MCU member.
The idea that this is a desperate attempt from Marvel to stay relevant stems from the popular opinion amongst fans and critics that Marvel has not created enough well-written and well-executed films since Avengers: Endgame, with certain exceptions. After losing some of Marvel’s iconic characters, the franchise lost a certain charm, and it seemed to fail to execute its more recent films with the same charisma it once held. Fans expected unique traits and characteristics from new characters, to fill in the gap left behind by the previous cast but were met with disappointment when Marvel reduced their individuality to a fanservice mindset.
This same issue of the lack of individuality in new characters is brought up in the casting choice for Doctor Doom. When fans see the character, they will immediately associate him with Robert Downey Jr.’s previous character, Tony Stark. This association immediately removes aspects of individuality. Numerous tweets and posts have flooded social media recounting the backlash towards this casting. @HAWKGIRLS states, “I don’t even have words but the way the MCU has completely reduced itself to cash grabs and nostalgia with no sense of creativity has to be studied.” @EvanReadsComics states, “Iron Man being Doctor Doom means absolutely nothing to the MCU as we know it and does nothing for the character Doctor Doom. It’s just to sell tickets. It’s boring, disrespectful, and doesn’t make sense.”
While the backlash may deter many people from seeing the film, it has also sparked enough curiosity in many to be somewhat excited about the film’s release in 2026.
