(From left) Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, Joe Russo, Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Russo speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, on July 27, 2024. Photo: TNS
Robert Downey Jr is explaining how Kevin Feige persuaded him to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom.
Downey said last week that he and the Marvel Studios boss had a conversation last year about Downey potentially returning to the MCU despite the Avengers: Endgame death of his previous character, Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man.
"He said, 'It just keeps occurring to me, if you were to come back,'" Downey told the Hollywood Reporter.
"'How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations?'... And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked into this character. Later on, he goes, 'Let's get Victor Von Doom right.'"
Doom is one of Marvel's most formidable villains and will play a crucial role in the upcoming phase of Avengers films and the broader MCU. In Marvel comics, he is a primary adversary of the Fantastic Four.
Downey had initially sought a meeting with Disney's Bob Iger to discuss contributing to the company's parks and location-based entertainment.
The Iron Man actor's involvement in theme park expansions was announced earlier this month at Disney's D23 convention, where the 59-year-old was revealed as part of the cast for two new attractions at Disneyland's California Adventure park.
Iger, who was already aware of the Downey-as-Doctor Doom concept, had expressed his approval and promptly arranged for the actor and Feige to tour Disney's Imagineering campus in Glendale to see the ongoing projects.
"You want to talk about two guys who are hard to impress, let alone simultaneously," Downey told THR. "What's happening there (in Imagineering) right now far exceeds my expectations of what was possible."
Downey was revealed as Doom at this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego.
Feige returned to iconic Hall H on July 28 to promote Marvel Studios' upcoming projects, bringing exclusive footage and more.
The presentation showcased 2025 releases including Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four: First Steps and a couple of Avengers films. During the event, a group of men dressed as Doom took the stage, and one of them removed his mask to reveal Downey.
"New mask. Same task," Downey said to the audience. "I have to say, I enjoy playing complex characters." – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
