Robert Downey Jr. will be "recast" as Doctor Doom, reports say

Marvel Studios broke the internet when president Kevin Feige took to the stage at San Diego Comic-Con in July to speak about the upcoming Avengers movies. Amidst the revelations were the bombshells that the Russo Brothers would indeed be returning to direct both of them, and that Marvel Cinematic Universe legend Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to play new villain Doctor Doom.

Avengers: Doomsday is when Doom will make his debut, as Marvel look to move on from former Big Bad Kang the Conqueror by bringing in Victor von Doom. It came as a surprise to many who weren't expecting the character to be introduced until after the Multiverse Saga concluded, but it's clear that the studio needed to pivot from Kang (and they needed a big star to make that happen).

Interestingly, this pivot might not have affected the studio's original plans for the character. Doctor Doom might just look a little bit different if he returns after those movies.

A new long-term Doctor Doom is rumored to appear after RDJ's version bows out

According to a new report from veteran Marvel insider Alex Perez, there were initially big plans to bring Doctor Doom into the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Secret Wars before he was announced as the new Big Bad of both that film and its predecessor. Confirming this in his Q&A with fans via The Cosmic Circus, the scooper answered a question about the villain becoming a recurring presence in the MCU after Secret Wars, saying that it is very likely that those plans will continue even after Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in those films. However, it doesn't seem likely that the Iron Man star will continue on as that particular version of Doom.

While RDJ's version of Doctor Doom is expected to be a Tony Stark variant from another earth, Perez believes "he will be recast with a new variant" when it comes time to introduce the MCU's official Doctor Doom (a.k.a. the one of Earth-616) into the franchise. He also likens the character to Loki in that he's beloved enough by fans to headline his own solo project, and that there was the possibility of a spinoff set in the "very far distant future" focused on the new version of the character.

While Marvel has yet to officially acknowledge the prospect of anyone other than Downey playing Doctor Doom, it is a report worth keeping in mind. The actor's return to the franchise comes with a major paycheck, which is reportedly north of $80 million; it's a risky venture, sure, but given that he's headlining two Avengers movies - a franchise that has always exceeded $1 billion at the box office (sometimes $2 billion) - it's a risk that Marvel obviously feels is worth taking to revive interest in the MCU, which has struggled somewhat throughout its Multiverse Saga.

Yes, Downey will still be headlining both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (with a potential post-credits scene appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps rumored, too) but after this specific Doctor Doom's demise, it might make sense for a new version of the character to come in so that the studio could still achieve its original long-term plans with him.

Doctor Doom is an incredibly complex character, and one that fans have been waiting to see in the MCU for a very long time. He's a Fantastic Four villain, but also a major threat to the Marvel Universe, so the idea of seeing that come to life on the silver screen is extremely intriguing. There is no doubting that Robert Downey Jr. will deliver a nuanced, compelling performance, and effectively bring this major Marvel Big Bad to the screen. But if the studio does want to show other sides to the character (the aforementioned Fantastic Four villain, the hubris of Victor von Doom etc.), then you can see why a recast might be necessary after Secret Wars.

It wouldn't make sense to bring back RDJ's Doctor Doom after he had been defeated (especially since he isn't going to be the Earth-616 variant), so this would effectively allow the studio to have their cake and eat it. RDJ could increase excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Avengers movies, while the studio could still enact some of its original plans for Doom with a different version of the character afterwards.

We'll have to wait and see if that's how Marvel ultimately plans things out, but the notion of one Doom coming to the MCU (nevermind two!) is very, very exciting.