Kevin Feige crowns Avengers: Doomsday’s Robert Downey Jr. best live-action Doctor Doom yet
Kevin Feige reckons Robert Downey Jr. is the best live-action Doctor Doom yet in Avengers: Doomsday — and you’ll want to hear why.
I have to say, quite a turnaround here: Robert Downey Jr. is swapping Iron Man's suit for Doctor Doom's mask in Avengers: Doomsday – yes, you read that right. It's all official, with Marvel Studios giving Downey the keys to play Victor von Doom in what's shaping up to be the biggest "heroes assemble" since, well, the last few times we saw every guest star under the sun pour onto a battlefield.
The film's out under the Russo brothers (Anthony and Joe), who are back in the MCU director's chairs after their victory lap with Endgame. The idea, if you believe the drumbeat from Empire Magazine and Marvel boss Kevin Feige, is that no one has ever quite nailed Doom on screen. Previous efforts—Julian McMahon's strangely camp scientist in the mid-2000s Fantastic Four films, and Toby Kebbell's, er, memorable hacker-villain in the 2015 reboot—never managed to tap into what makes Marvel's monarch villain properly terrifying.
Feige told Empire Magazine, talking up Downey: "He's the greatest actor of his time. He can pull off anything."
Feige didn't stop there; apparently Downey "found something fairly quickly" with his take on Doom, which Feige thinks proves they've finally got the right actor for the job. Considering Downey basically defined Tony Stark for an entire generation, it's hard not to be at least slightly curious about what he'll do bringing Doom's particular brand of arrogance and menace to the MCU.
The Big MCU Cross-Over
Plot specifics, naturally, are shrouded in mystery, but this much is clear: Doctor Doom is the major threat uniting everyone for Avengers: Doomsday. This isn't just another Avengers get-together—it's got the Fantastic Four (yet again!) and a solid handful of X-Men thrown in for good measure. If you ever wanted to see whether Hugh Jackman's Wolverine just happens to pop by, this is the film gunning for that level of madness.
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Chris Evans returning as Steve Rogers
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman)
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mr Fantastic)
- Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch)
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing)
- Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn representing the X-Men side of the house
The first trailer does what you'd expect: plenty of weighty monologues, a menacing glimpse at Downey's Doom, and shots of heroes from every corner of Marvel's universe. The suggestion is clear—Doom isn't mucking about, and everyone's in trouble, but as per Marvel tradition, the real details about what he's after or how it all fits together are kept almost suspiciously vague for now.
Avengers: Doomsday lands in cinemas 18 December 2026.