Dr. Doom in the MCU

[sketchopolix]

SPOILER ALERT: Stop reading if you think you can avoid hearing who is going to play Dr. Doom in the MCU before you actually see the movie.

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From BBC.com

Robert Downey Jr is returning to the Marvel superhero world after five years - but not to the Iron Man role which launched the blockbuster franchise.

The actor will make his comeback as Dr Victor Von Doom, a prominent villain in the comic books which spawned the popular film series.

Downey Jr will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which is due to be released in May 2026, and a further instalment titled Secret Wars a year later.

Stars joining the Marvel franchise were unveiled at the Comic Con event in San Diego.

Downey Jr appeared on stage concealed behind Dr Doom's iconic mask and green cloak before unveiling himself to fans.

Speaking to reporters, he said: "I like playing complicated characters."

[finfangfan]

Great casting for sure! Probably a better storyline than if they kept Kang as big bad.

[BipolarBear]

There's definitely potential here but i can't help but feel that this is a Hail Mary to reclaim the excitement of pre-Endgame MCU

[Brobocop]

Originally Posted by BipolarBear

There's definitely potential here but i can't help but feel that this is a Hail Mary to reclaim the excitement of pre-Endgame MCU

Deadpool & Wolverine seems to be doing a good job of that.

[1992UDFootball]

Desperation with no build up.

Then what, recast Doom in a few years because RDJ was a variant? Yikes.

[fabiani12333]

There was a rumor that Marvel was having a problem locking up A-list actors to play the main characters in the upcoming Fantastic Four film -- hence the decision to sign Pedro Pascal for the role of Reed Richards; he was already under the Disney umbrella playing the main character in the Mandalorian. This could help explain why Robert Downey Jr has signed on for Dr. Doom -- Marvel is obviously already on good terms with him.

[kingofsnake]

Not very enthused about this announcement. So many talented actors in the world, and they need to re-use one of their most prominent ones?

Also why is in Pedro Pascal in everything these days? I liked him in Game of Thrones, and he seems like a likeable guy - but in everything? Why not just keep John Krasinski in that role? Anyways.

[BipolarBear]

John Krasinski can't act. Happy to see him go

[Brobocop]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

There was a rumor that Marvel was having a problem locking up A-list actors to play the main characters in the upcoming Fantastic Four film -- hence the decision to sign Pedro Pascal for the role of Reed Richards; he was already under the Disney umbrella playing the main character in the Mandalorian. This could help explain why Robert Downey Jr has signed on for Dr. Doom -- Marvel is obviously already on good terms with him.

Probably more that they want to lock up well-known names for long-term deals because it's cheaper for them and gives Disney way more control.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Brobocop

Probably more that they want to lock up well-known names for long-term deals because it's cheaper for them and gives Disney way more control.

Yeah, like the old studio system -- it could be partly why they've had problems locking up actors.

[oldgoldy97]

Anyone read Bleeding Cool? The author is a pathetic hack in his failure of an attempt to write a story about this. First he calls the movie by the wrong name. Then he tries to liken RDJ to Majors (“replacing one felon with another”). Rich Johnston is everything wrong with the internet.

[finfangfan]

I’m surprised people are against RDJ… his perfect casting in IM1 basically laid the foundation for the MCU and now he’s back to hopefully get the MCU back on track after a couple of rough years (outside of Spidey and Deadpool successes).

[1992UDFootball]

Originally Posted by oldgoldy97

Anyone read Bleeding Cool? The author is a pathetic hack in his failure of an attempt to write a story about this. First he calls the movie by the wrong name. Then he tries to liken RDJ to Majors (“replacing one felon with another”). Rich Johnston is everything wrong with the internet.

That site and those that post on it are nothing but clickbait trash.

[KidKards101]

This is great news to those who own a Fantastic Four #5 comic

[finfangfan]

Originally Posted by KidKards101

This is great news to those who own a Fantastic Four #5 comic

I’m pretty sure anyone owning an FF5 was already in a good spot prior to this news announcement. It’s been a big comic forever.

[dd316]

All this tells me is the Multiverse is going nowhere anytime soon. Writers can take solace in the fact they can be as lazy as they want.

To be fair, I haven't hated what they've done with the Multiverse thus far (except No Way Home, that movie is a travesty). I just hate that they can use it to explain anything or do whatever they want. In this case, Doom is clearly going to be Tony Stark from another timeline. Zzzzz...

[Raymond23]

Somewhat unrelated question about Avengers Secret Wars. Any info about which version of Secret Wars is coming to the MCU? 1984? 2015? Some mashup of the 2? Or are they just gonna do whatever MCU stuff they want?

I read the 1984 comic back when it was first released. Early teen me hated it. I thought it was one of the worst comic I ever read. By weird coincidence, I re-read it last week…and I think teen me was far too kind. The series was dreadful (not Secret Wars II dreadful (did Spider-Man really have to explain how to poop to the Beyonder?). I’ve never read the 2015 version, but I think it takes some basic concepts from Secret Wars 1 (Battle World, Beyonder) but was more of a Marvel Universe reset event (like Crisis on Infinite Earths). I’ve considered reading it, but I’m not familiar with modern Marvel and it sounds like I would need to read a lot of prequels and crossovers or I’ll be hopelessly lost (so, side question…2015 SW worth picking up and easy to get in to?). Main question…which Secret Wars?

And, yeah, Dr Doom is far overdue from appearing in the MCU…as is FF. I’m exited even if this feels a little desperate…

[glorbgorb]

Ever since the "Multiverse" was a thing, any and all stakes were lowered. It became an immediate easy button for writers to do anything they want.

Bad actor? Boom, we just say it was a variant from another dimension. Or ignore he existed if you're Kang.

Do we need to sell more toys? Boom, let's put 100 Deadpool variants on the screen. They started that on a much lower scale in the last Dr Strange movie.

Need to get Jackman back? But wait, Logan was a perfect ending to Jackman's time as Wolverine. Boom, it was another version.

So lazy.

Tony Stark being Dr Doom is sort of in the comics, so while it definitely feels like a desperation move by Marvel Studios, there is at least the precedent in print. Go check out Exiles #23. Knowing that RDJ will be expensive, maybe the movie will end the same way Exiles #23 does...

It's just a sign of how sad the MCU has become that they had to stoop to that plotline.

But hey, Multiverse!

[Davy]

Originally Posted by Brobocop

Deadpool & Wolverine seems to be doing a good job of that.

You don't build a universe of films and shows on that though. Guardians III did well too - didn't stop Ant Man, Marvels and Eternals all bombing around it.

[KidKards101]

Originally Posted by finfangfan

I’m pretty sure anyone owning an FF5 was already in a good spot prior to this news announcement. It’s been a big comic forever.

The value of the book plummeted from the highs of 2021-2022. It's now trying to gain some ground, but still selling for about 2020 prices.

[Archangel1775]

I cant say I'm a big fan of the casting. People know RDJ as Iron Man. I don't believe the general population is deep into what happened in the comics world outside of the names of the most popular characters and stories like Superman dying. If they're catering to a new generation, so be it. I do think its lazy on Disney's part and reeks of desperation with the recent results of everything just before Deadpool.

[NHRonin]

I think this may be a swerve. Marvel is known for not telling us the truth and this could be yet another example.

[Xazark]

Originally Posted by NHRonin

I think this may be a swerve. Marvel is known for not telling us the truth and this could be yet another example.

That's possible I guess, I saw one interview where Ryan Reynolds said that he had wanted to try to do a fake movie with a REALLY bad premise in which like 5mins into the movie it switches to Deadpool and Wolverine, but they realised that they could never pull off a secret that big with so many people needing to be involved, it would 100% get leaked.

I dont like the idea of RDJ as Dr Doom and agree it feels like a desperate pull to bring back the energy of the franchise. Unfortunately even with a hail mary like that they haven't setup the other characters to be that interesting so bringing back 1 actor in a diff role isn't really going to do it imo

[Rictor]

I think people are too hard on the latest Marvel movies. Ant-Man and Marvels were fun. The Eternals was boring, but so are the Eternals comic books. Same with The Inhumans. They should avoid source material that was never successful in the comics.

I like the Ms. Marvel TV show, so I enjoyed seeing the character on the big screen.

I thought the She-Hulk TV series started out strong, but then they really screwed up the ending, where she breaks the 4th wall and basically undoes everything that happened in the series. What was the point then?

Hawkeye TV series was good, Echo was better. Loki was great. Hit Monkey is great. What If is great. Moon Knight was okay. WandaVision was okay. Werewolf by Night was great. Secret Invasion was kind of boring until the end. X-Men 97 was great.

The upcoming Daredevil TV series will be great. Marvel Zombies will hopefully be the best animated Marvel series ever assuming they stick to the source material.

Wonder Man was never that interesting of a comic book, so I don't know how well that TV show will do. Same with the Thunderbolts concept for a movie. The Thunderbolts comics all get cancelled pretty quickly because they typically suck. They are basically Marvel's version of the Suicide Squad, villains recruited by the government as heroes. There's no Harley Quinn to carry the film though.

[dd316]

Originally Posted by Rictor

I think people are too hard on the latest Marvel movies. Ant-Man and Marvels were fun. The Eternals was boring, but so are the Eternals comic books. Same with The Inhumans. They should avoid source material that was never successful in the comics.

I like the Ms. Marvel TV show, so I enjoyed seeing the character on the big screen.

I thought the She-Hulk TV series started out strong, but then they really screwed up the ending, where she breaks the 4th wall and basically undoes everything that happened in the series. What was the point then?

Hawkeye TV series was good, Echo was better. Loki was great. Hit Monkey is great. What If is great. Moon Knight was okay. WandaVision was okay. Werewolf by Night was great. Secret Invasion was kind of boring until the end. X-Men 97 was great.

The upcoming Daredevil TV series will be great. Marvel Zombies will hopefully be the best animated Marvel series ever assuming they stick to the source material.

Wonder Man was never that interesting of a comic book, so I don't know how well that TV show will do. Same with the Thunderbolts concept for a movie. The Thunderbolts comics all get cancelled pretty quickly because they typically suck. They are basically Marvel's version of the Suicide Squad, villains recruited by the government as heroes. There's no Harley Quinn to carry the film though.

I agree with just about everything you said.

People have been angry and crapped on everything Marvel since RDJ exited (with a few exceptions), so what else did they think Marvel was going to do but bring back RDJ? And now everybody's mad at that before even knowing the story they're cooking up. It's their fault Marvel went back to the RDJ well in the first place - same reason Star Wars went back to JJ Abrams after the backlash to Last Jedi.

Deadpool & Wolverine is getting good reviews because he's basically an extension of angry fanboys "sticking it" to Disney/Marvel. At this point nobody is going to be happy on either side. I wish Marvel would just do whatever they want because I've really enjoyed just about everything since Endgame, but they're listening to the "fans" too much, and I get they have to because they still need to make money. But everything they do now is a double-edged sword.

I've actually gone back to reading comics to get my Marvel fix with the drought of MCU films this year, and that's not a complaint. I'm reading titles I never read before because I've become more open to worlds beyond Spider-Man and X-Men (never thought I'd care about Guardians of the Galaxy, but here we are!). I loved looking forward to new movies every couple months - it boggles my mind that people thought there was too much. I can't get enough. They're not all going to be Endgame, and that's OK. 12-year-old me would've killed to have movies like these constantly coming out.