As a longtime fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and someone who has followed the journey of Tony Stark/Iron Man since his inception, I have to say I’m intrigued by the possibility of Doctor Doom being played by Robert Downey Jr. in future MCU projects.
At San Diego Comic-Con’s marquee event, Marvel Studios revealed that Robert Downey Jr., the pioneer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark, will rejoin the franchise. However, unlike his previous role, he’ll be portraying Victor von Doom, a character often regarded as Marvel Comics’ most formidable villain. Given Marvel’s preference for rebooting or paying tribute to characters instead of recasting them, this decision seems unusual. It has led us to speculate that this could be a clever misdirection, and Downey Jr.’s character might not truly be the real Victor von Doom.
To clarify, it’s important to remember we don’t have insider information like hidden agents at Marvel Studios, a personal connection with Kevin Feige, or magical powers to predict all 14,006,055 possible MCU outcomes. Instead, this is speculative analysis based on our knowledge of Marvel Comics, the MCU, and some educated guesses about human behavior. And while it’s intriguing to consider Downey might be playing the genuine Doctor Doom, if that’s true, there may only be one way to make such a transition seamless.
As a gamer, I can’t help but feel skeptical about this recent announcement. It doesn’t seem like a decision driven by creative ambition to craft an engaging narrative, but more like a tactic to fill movie theaters. It reminds me of studio executives trying to boost ticket sales. The MCU’s box office slump post-Avengers: Endgame has certainly influenced my perspective on this casting choice. There are other talented actors who could bring Doom to life in a compelling way, and this decision seems like a return to familiar ground instead of exploring fresh, intriguing possibilities.
It appears to be an unusual decision given Downey’s pivotal role in launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe, transforming Iron Man and Tony Stark into familiar figures, and resurrecting his career with the character he portrayed. After all, Marvel Studios has already generously compensated him, and this move could potentially tarnish Downey’s legacy associated with the character. At its most unfavorable, this could evoke a sense of “Palatine Returned” moment for the MCU, referring to a scenario where a villain seemingly defeated returns for another confrontation.
Could it be that this is just a hint at something completely unexpected instead? The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s team, including Feige, the Russos, Downey, and other creative minds, might have other plans in mind. Here’s a bit of background to help understand the situation better.
The (Second) Man in the Iron Mask
If reports are true that Robert Downey Jr. will portray Victor von Doom, it’s possible we may not get to see his face due to Doom’s characteristic appearance – he’s often heavily scarred and always wears a mask. There’s an intriguing theory that this could be a version of Tony Stark who survived the snap but was disappointed with the world and decided to change sides, becoming a villain instead.
The Multiverse
It’s important to remember that, for now, the MCU is a multiverse. While that may not always be the case–multiverses collapsing as are common as sand on a beach in comic books–our favorite superheroes are each just one version of countless possible variants. Thus far, we’ve met variants of a bunch of characters. They often share the same face and name, as has been the case with Doctor Strange or Guardians of the Galaxy’s Gamora. But just as often they share a name only (see Spider-Man: No Way Home) or face only (see the Kang variants in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania). And then there are mischief characters like Loki and Deadpool who have variants in all shapes and sizes.
In one alternate scenario, Victor von Doom assumes Tony Stark’s identity after a mind swap, assuming the role of Iron Man while Tony is gone. This tale is detailed in the book “Infamous Iron Man,” where Doom attempts to live up to Stark’s heroic legacy following his death. In another story, roles are reversed as Tony Stark becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, and Victor von Doom takes on the mantle of Iron Man.
In this incarnation of Victor Von Doom, sporting Tony Stark’s visage, it’s highly improbable that a man identical to Tony Stark hasn’t drawn attention in Latveria. If indeed he is Victor Von Doom, then he must hail from an alternate reality at the very least.
Doombots
Doctor Doom isn’t identical to Thanos. While Thanos was relentless, unstoppable like an incoming tsunami, Doctor Doom is a human character whose descent into villainy stems from a significant mistake that left a deep emotional wound. In response, he adorns himself in metallic armor to conceal his face.
As a devoted fan, I can say that he isn’t just acquainted with setbacks; rather, he navigates through them with an intricate web of strategies. It’s not merely one strategy he possesses, but a layered network of contingencies akin to the Bene Gesserit from Dune. His backup plans aren’t isolated, they too have their own backup plans.
One consistent trait of Doctor Doom is that when you engage in a fight with him, it’s often not actually Doctor Doom you’re facing. Instead, it’s one of his Doombots. Unlike regular robots or characters like Ultron, Doombots are unique to Doctor Doom. They mimic Doctor Doom not only in appearance and voice but also in their deep-rooted belief that they are Victor von Doom. In the comics, these mechanical beings even possess technology sophisticated enough to deceive lower-level telepaths into thinking the Doombot is Doctor Doom himself.
If hypothetically Daniel Day-Lewis portrayed Doctor Doom in a movie (which is highly unlikely), it doesn’t mean that a Doombot – a robotic version of Victor von Doom – necessarily needs to resemble him physically.
Doom and the Fantastic Four
Doctor Doom serves a similar role to the Fantastic Four as Magneto does to the X-Men and Lex Luthor to Superman. The upcoming movie about the Fantastic Four is set for release next spring, and it’s likely that Doctor Doom will make an appearance in the storyline. Known as Marvel Comics’ First Family, the Fantastic Four are the pioneering superheroes of a long-established comics publisher. They debuted during the early days of space exploration, making their first appearance in 1961, only four years after the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial Earth satellite.
These days, companies are working on commercializing space travel, so imagining some intrepid explorers simply breaching the atmosphere would be less than impressive. Jeff Bezos has been to space. Instead, what if the Fantastic Four become the first explorers to intentionally breach the Multiverse. Previously, this has been done by magic, like Doctor Strange’s sling ring, or by accident, as with Photon in the final moments of The Marvels. The TVA is its own thing–Kang exists outside of time and space, and it’s tough to say that, in Earth-616’s timeline, no one has yet crossed multiversal boundaries. We’re betting that the Fantastic Four crosses from their retro-futuristic 1960s world to the modern-day MCU at some point in that film, and brings Victor von Doom–once a friend of Mr. Fantastic, AKA Reed Richards–with them, or creates him in the modern-day MCU in the process.
So that leads us to the question of why he has the same face as our buddy Tony.
As a die-hard fan, if I were to speculate, the character hailing from the F4’s world might just be a Stark-like counterpart, another prodigious inventor whose backstory is shrouded in metallic mystery. If this theory holds true, it seems we may never witness Downey’s face again within the MCU, given that Doom is notorious for always keeping his mask on.
Instead of only creating a Doombot with your own face, why not build one that resembles Tony Stark’s visage instead? After all, if you can construct robots so realistic they don’t recognize their own robotness, there’s no reason to limit yourself. Plus, what more efficient route could there be to gain influence than by assuming the identity of a resurrected Tony Stark? With Doom appearing as Stark, he would immediately gain access to vast fortunes, influential connections, and other valuable resources. Moreover, people would readily accept him due to his Stark persona.
As a devoted fan, I’m not automatically against Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). If skillfully executed, it could indeed offer an intriguing twist. However, Marvel Studios must strike the perfect balance to assure us that this is a creative decision rather than a commercial one. One key aspect is avoiding another decade of Downey’s life as Doctor Doom; instead, his role as Doctor Doom should complement, not overshadow, his portrayal of Tony Stark within the MCU narrative.
D23
It seems plausible that since Downey’s Doom is likely to play a significant role in the MCU going forward, there might be frequent discussions about it. However, here’s another perspective that could hint at something unusual: Every other year, Disney holds a grand D23 presentation. These events are usually spectacular, and this year they even made the panel a standalone event for the first time. It featured Nine Inch Nails, The Rock with pyrotechnics, Debra Jo Rupp singing, and a David Blaine magic trick. However, what it lacked was any mention of Downey or his Victor von Doom character. Disney did talk about other Marvel projects from their Comic-Con panel, such as Captain America: Brave New World, so it wasn’t off topic. It simply didn’t appear. Interestingly, Disney’s Fortnite presentation had more references to Doctor Doom than the D23 event, just by having any mention of him at all.
They have to get this right
If a character disguised as Tony Stark is actually Doom, here’s an imaginable scenario: Although Doom isn’t the antagonist in Fantastic Four: The First Steps, there might be a possibility that he appears towards the end, adopting Tony Stark’s appearance.
In a hypothetical scenario as a gamer, I’d say: “Imagine if Doom was pulling a fast one, disguising himself as Iron Man, Tony Stark. Picture this: At the end of Fantastic Four, Doom makes his grand entrance, donning Iron Man’s mask. The Avengers would be caught off guard, thinking they’re battling their old buddy or a doppelganger. They’d even deal him what seems to be a fatal blow at the end of Avengers: Doomsday. But here’s the twist – that’s not the real Doom! A new actor steps into the limelight, revealing the deception. The heroes would have been tricked into thinking they’ve fought their friend, only to realize the true battle is yet to come.”
As a gamer immersed in crafting Doctor Doom’s narrative, the biggest challenge lies in portraying him as a genius on par with Tony Stark, Reed Richards, and Bruce Banner – no easy feat! However, unlike Thanos, he doesn’t just charge forward without respite. Instead, he must engage our heroes, and by extension, keep us guessing. Rather than being a constant, imminent threat, Doctor Doom needs to catch us off guard. And that, my friend, is the essence of what makes him truly intriguing.
Image credit: Getty Images/Jesse Grant
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2024-08-12 20:09