Robert Downey Jr. Makes a Surprising Return to Marvel Universe as a Villain

Robert Downey Jr., the former Iron Man, is set to return to the Marvel world in an unexpected role for the next Avengers film. This announcement was made at San Diego Comic-Con.

Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is now official. At San Diego Comic-Con, fans discovered the actor's new role in the film "Avengers: Doomsday". Unlike his former heroic character, Downey Jr. will now be playing for the villains' side.

An Unexpected Change of Sides

After bidding farewell to Iron Man in "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019, Robert Downey Jr. went on to star in other films such as "Dolittle" and "Oppenheimer", as well as the series "The Sympathizer". Rumours about his return to Marvel had been circulating for a while, but Iron Man's end in "Endgame" made this return complicated.

Finally, the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con confirmed Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU. But his new role surprised everyone.

Doctor Doom: Robert Downey Jr.'s New Challenge

Marvel Studios made a big surprise by announcing that Robert Downey Jr. would return as Doctor Doom. This character will be the main villain in the film "Avengers: Doomsday".

Brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, who have already directed other Avengers films, will be directing this new movie. Doctor Doom has previously been played by Toby Kebbell in the 2015 "Fantastic Four" film, directed by Josh Trank.

The Fantastic Four Join the Adventure

The film "Avengers: Doomsday" will also introduce the new Fantastic Four. These characters will first be presented in the film "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", scheduled for 2025 and directed by Matt Shakman. They will then continue their story in the fifth Avengers film.

The film was originally supposed to be called "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty", but it was changed after Jonathan Majors, who was set to play Kang, was sentenced to prison.

"Avengers: Doomsday" will hit cinemas in May 2026.