Why Downey's Doctor Doom is what the MCU needs right now

The decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Victor Von Doom is an unexpected and exciting choice. Marvel Studios and its casting director, Sarah Finn, have a great track record of casting the right actors for their characters. While some people wish Marvel had hired a Romani actor for the role of Doctor Doom, there's no denying that the San Diego Comic-Con announcement has generated buzz, sparked many discussions, and led to plenty theories among fans, similar to the excitement during the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga days.

The Oscar-winning actor first played the role of Tony Stark in 2008's Iron Man, and 2019 saw him receiving a fitting farewell in Avengers: Endgame. Now, he makes a dramatic return to the franchise he initiated, appearing as one of the Marvel Universe's most formidable antagonists in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. It's a natural progression, almost like a poetic sequence.

Downey is set to portray Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. It's unknown at this point if he'll be playing the comic-accurate version of the character or a variant of Iron Man, but it does pose the MCU with an array of interesting story possibilities. A multiversal narrative of decision, fate, and destiny can be told here, with Doom embodying the tenuous boundary between Stark and the adversaries he confronted. Given Doom's significant role in both iterations of Secret Wars, his selection as the antagonist honors the comics as well.

The prospect of Peter Parker confronting a threat wearing his former mentor and father figure's face would undoubtedly generate considerable drama for Peter. Given that Spider-Man's existence is characterized by dramatic twists and soap-opera-worthy scenarios, this scenario would take the cake.

There is also potential to see what Tony Stark would have become had he remained a weapons dealer and not had a change of heart, in the cave. Yinsen's dying words inspired him to become the hero he became, but there is a genuine chance that he may have taken it another way and become one of the most formidable foes of the heroes of his world.

To see an alternate reality, where Earth’s Mightiest Hero is instead of Earth's Deadliest Villain, would allow Robert Downey Jr. to flex his acting chops and break new ground. It is essentially a live-action version of What If...?, but canon to Earth-616.

Doctor Doom is a very different character from Tony Stark—darker, more malevolent, and with a different kind of charisma, thus, some might worry whether Downey can convincingly shed the mask of Tony Stark and convincingly portray the menace and complexity of Doom. However, one must only look to his performance as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer to see what Downey can do with a great script and director.

With some fans feeling that recent MCU projects have been hit or miss, Downey’s return, especially as a villain as iconic and beloved as Doom, could reinvigorate the franchise and bring a fresh dynamic to the ongoing storyline. Ultimately, the success of this casting decision would heavily depend on the script and direction of the Russo brothers and how Downey chooses to portray his version of Victor Von Doom, but there is no doubt that it can be pulled off.