Okay, be honest, who had Robert Downey Jr. returning the MCU as Doctor Doom? And if you raised your hand just put it back down. No one saw this one coming, but here we are. That’s right, Marvel left the biggest reveal of Comic-Con International 2024 (SDCC 2024) for the end. Fans were already in a frenzy over the fact that the Russo Brothers were returning to direct new Avengers movies. Then Marvel announced that one of those films would be Secret Wars. And THEN, well… Doomsday. Chaotic frenzy ensued. Fans screamed. RDJ was, well, RDJ. Now it’s time to digest the gem of knowledge Disney and Marvel bestowed upon us last night.

Robert Downey, Junior; Doctor Doom
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

First, let’s let the elephant out of the room. Kang is no more. How they’ll address the lead-up from Ant-Man: Quantumania and Loki remains to be seen. Let’s be honest, though. Do we really care? I mean, we’re finally getting Victor Von Doom in the MCU. Casting Robert Downe Jr., however, raises a lot of questions. One theory is that the simplest answer just might be the best one.

Robert Downey Jr. returns to MCU as Doctor Doom

Robert Downey, Junior; Doom
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (Robert Downey, Junior reveals himself as Doctor Doom at the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

Tony Stark/Iron Man and Doctor Doom share a long and storied relationship throughout the history of Marvel Comics. Their paths cross many a time, including Doom creating a set of his own Iron Man armor following Tony’s disappearance in the Secret Wars. But… They’ve never actually been the same person. Many are speculating that Marvel is relying on the multiverse crutch to bring Robert Downey Jr. back into the fold. Granted, the multiverse does open things up considerably from a storytelling perspective. But what if….

What if it’s as simple as never seeing Doctor Doom’s face? He does wear the mask almost exclusively. Even if we do see his face, a comic-accurate depiction would have him horribly disfigured. Easy enough for Robert Downey Jr. to wear prosthetics and change his voice to distinguish the actor from his most iconic role. Call me crazy, but this may not be as complicated as the conspiracy theorists think. Nevertheless, they’ll have until May 2026 to think about it.

Doom

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