Marvel fans were clearly divided when Robert Downey Jr. was revealed as the next Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic-Con.
Half of the movie’s fans were disappointed, as this movie clearly tarnishes the reputation of Iron Man, a character who was heroically killed at the end of Avengers: End Game.
But the other half of the audience continued to stick with the casting decision, trusting not only Robert Downey Jr. as a skilled and talented actor, but also in the vision of Anthony and Joe Russo, who have never put a foot wrong in directing Marvel.
Many have speculated that the re-casting is nothing more than a financial move, as Marvel projects have been struggling since 2020.
There’s also that little scandal surrounding Kang, played disappointingly by Jonathan Majors, which no doubt contributed to Marvel rescheduling some crucial plots.
But who is the most meticulous when it comes to comic book stories? Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are more interested in the story.
We can forgive almost anything that happens as long as the story explains the logic and covers all or at least most of the loopholes.
Because George Lucas is in control, it doesn’t matter if you’re super famous, because your audience will find excuses for you.
Aside from real conspiracy theories, there are only about five plausible fictional scenarios in which Robert Downey Jr. could play Doctor Doom after his breakout role as Iron Man.
However, I still vote for number 6.
Robert Downey Jr. will play multiple characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he did in
The most despised theory is that Robert Downey Jr. will simply play as many Marvel Cinematic Universe characters as he wants and as much as he can afford.
There’s no explanation. There’s no complicated sci-fi logic. RDJ just plays Doctor Doom because he can.
But let’s face it, fans are unlikely to complain much.
What further supports this theory is the fact that Marvel/Disney has actually recast several characters with different actors so far.
Chris Evans was the Human Torch before he became Captain America.
Don Cheadle and Terrence Howard played James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, while Eric Bana, Edward Norton, and Mark Ruffalo performed the “Don’t make me mad” line.
Thanos wasn’t the same actor who first appeared in The Avengers, thanks to Josh Brolin’s grouchy portrayal in Infinity War and End Game.
So why doesn’t Robert Downey Jr. just do the full Norbit role and play every character in the MCU?
With the low cost of digital animation these days, it certainly wouldn’t be difficult to have RJD’s face appear on ten characters on screen at once. He played several characters so effectively in The Sympathizer.
It may sound a bit scary, like Being John Malkovich. Let’s hope the Russo’s are smarter than this – I’m pretty sure they are.
The multiverse story will continue with an alternate timeline.
Exploring another multiverse is certainly not the same as conducting an alternative “what if” experiment.
We’re talking a cheap “what if…” scenario versus a very complex plot involving timelines, “pivotal beings” (as explored in Deadpool and Wolverine), and a complex final plot that brings together all of the multiverse for one decisive showdown that ends in our universe.
But they feel the same, don’t they?
The most common idea I’ve heard is that Tony Stark will be reimagined as a 19th century version of himself, competing with Victor Von Doom, who may be the hero in this alternate reality.
This theory may coincide with the strange decision to set Fantastic Four: First Steps in the 1960s.
Either Stark will become the villain, or perhaps he will reveal himself as some kind of replicant and will actually exist in multiple universes at once.
The whole thing makes sense to Marvel fans, but it’s actually taxing on the general public.
The reception to other multiverse stories has been lukewarm, with Marvel even pointing this out in Deadpool and Wolverine when they broke the fourth wall and discussed how bad multiverse things are.
Part of me thinks Marvel has listened to fan criticism of multiverse stories and is trying something different. Just look at how they handled the nostalgic and energetic X-Men 97.
And again, the Russo brothers said at the SDCC press conference, “As a testament to the limitless potential of the Marvel Multiverse…
(Stop… as if I, oh, I think I said too much)
“We present to you the only person who can play the role of Victor Von Doom…”
The term “multiverse” has already been used everywhere, so we can’t definitely judge whether a multiverse/what-if scenario will happen again.
Iron Man and Doctor Doom will swap bodies.
The non-chronological scenario is that Doctor Doom will figure out how to swap bodies with Tony Stark and cause chaos among the various Marvel superheroes.
Perhaps Doom will resurrect Stark’s body or hire a multiverse version of him to carry out his diabolical plans.
It’s not an entirely untested recipe. It worked in Marvel’s 2010 story Iron Man: Demon in an Armor, though the two characters traded ideas in that story.
This approach also worked in the 1997 film Face/Off, which was critically acclaimed for its wacky humor, action scenes, and high-concept of a hero and villain swapping faces.
This would have huge potential in the MCU, as it would give us the chance to see Marvel’s superheroes get emotional as they are forced to battle with the stolen face of Iron Man – the hero, brother, and mentor they all loved deeply.
However, while the concept is interesting, I feel as though it would anger MCU fans in a way that goes beyond even the multiverse story.
Since we’ve already predicted and imagined this, it’s a bit uncomfortable to think that Robert Downey Jr.’s $80 million movie is nothing more than a face.
It devalues the story because it doesn’t actually give us Tony Stark, just his image, which isn’t enough for the Marvel Cinematic Universe audience, who demand a certain level of authenticity.
Robert Downey Jr. will face Iron Man as Doctor Doom
This is the most ridiculous scenario, yet it has been mentioned by a number of MCU fans, and they clearly love the implications of dual acting.
Is this another Clone Wars, haven’t we had enough of Attack of the Clones movies for a while? Just because something can be easily done with animation and AI doesn’t mean it should be done.
The film’s climax of a fake Doctor Doom fighting a returning Iron Man – both played by the same character – reaches a level of self-parody that doesn’t even reach the level of Deadpool’s entertainment.
The biggest problem with this scenario, and with all of these hypothetical scenarios, is that none of them actually explore Doctor Doom’s fascinating origin story.
Previous interpretations of Von Doom’s character have been superficial, including Toby Kebbell’s performance in Fantastic Four (2015).
None of them actually explored the character, his Roman background, or the character’s appeal, which was so fun to read about in the comics.
None of the more recent Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have even attempted to build up Doctor Doom or create any sense of conflict between multiple films.
It seems strange that one of Marvel’s most charismatic and theatrical villains hasn’t gotten a proper introduction yet.
Marvel Will Rewrite Iron Man History The Way Kaiser Sozzi Does
Here’s another weird theory, but not so far-fetched in hindsight. Maybe it was a hallucination caused by Loki?
What if we’re watching Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) imitate Tony Stark all the time – who’s actually just another guy we’ve never seen before?
Perhaps Von Doom performed a mind experiment, a massive magic trick under the influence of Mandela, that caused everyone to remember Iron Man as the hero Victor Von Doom.
This would be a Kaiser Susie style, where the writer undoes the entire story we’ve heard so far in favor of a completely new narrative that comes out of nowhere, with just a drop of preamble.
Literary manipulation!
Of course, what many people don’t remember is how stupid Bryan Singer’s The Usual Suspects actually was – and how “weak” Bryan Singer was, for that matter.
If the whole story is a lie in favor of a ridiculous plot that has been completely hidden from us, what’s the point of it all?
There is no meaning… except that you are watching.
The Russo family has to shock the Marvel Universe to keep us interested.
This is the part that worries me because when it comes to storytelling, the Russo brothers are creatively gifted but often reckless in execution.
In the comedy series Arrested Development, which was a turning point in the brothers’ careers, the characters’ truth was always second to the unreliable narrator’s narrative.
Suddenly, George Bluth Sr. was an identical twin, and he often pretended to be his brother Oscar. For no other reason than that it was funny.
Sort of. (The first five times…)
Suddenly, the whole plot you thought you were watching fell apart because you missed all the writer’s clues that revealed that something completely different was going on in the background.
(I still can’t believe how Charlize Theron surprised me with her superficial, deceptive performance.)
True, you can blame executive producer and writer Mitchell Hurwitz for ruining his own child with all sorts of illogical and confusing plot twists.
But who can forget that the Russo brothers started here In an unconventional comedy series that has no rules except for the narrator’s magnetically reassuring voice?
Another scenario: It’s not at all like what you’re thinking.
My prediction is that the Russo brothers will try to outdo themselves, as usual, and do something so out of the ordinary that it will surprise everyone.
It has to be done.
Since we’ve already come up with most of the most likely scenarios over the past month, Marvel can’t afford to rehash ideas that have already been implemented or that we’ve already discussed.
They have to think bigger, like $100 billion bigger.
Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and let Disney wow us with an original story so controversial that it redefines comic book movies for a new era.
I think the Russo brothers realize that Marvel movies need a dose of creativity, and that will show in the upcoming Avengers movie.
What do you think? Are there any other theories about what RDJ will bring to the character of Dr. Von Doom?
