Marvel Studios saved its biggest surprise for the end of its hugely anticipated panel at the ongoing San Diego Comic-Con, and it was a bombshell to end all bombshells. In addition to revealing the main villain and title of the upcoming fifth Avengers movie, they also revealed a major casting announcement. Avengers 5 will be a reunion of sorts, with directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo back on board to helm, and none other than Robert Downey Jr. set to play the titular antagonist, Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom.
The legendary Fantastic Four villain was previously played by Toby Kebbell in the ill-fated 2015 adaptation, directed by Josh Trank. Downey, of course, iconically starred as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies for over a decade. His tenure ended with an emotional send-off in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, also directed by the Russo brothers. For years, fans wondered if he would ever return as the character that not only resurrected his career, but catapulted him to the very pinnacle of the A-list. Little did fans know that he’d return, but arguably as an even bigger character than the one he played previously.
The Fantastic Four Will Also Make An Appearance In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Downey is coming off of a well-deserved Oscar win for his supporting performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. It felt for a while that he was transitioning out of the world of superhero cinema and into an elder statesman position. But with this Doctor Doom announcement, it would appear that the next several years of his career, much like his heyday, will be spent in the Marvel stable.
Avengers: Doomsday will of course feature appearances by Marvel’s first family of superheroes, the Fantastic Four. The characters will be introduced in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which entered production this week with director Matt Shakman at the helm. Previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty after another villain, the fifth Avengers movie has been reshaped entirely following star Jonathan Majors’ conviction in an assault case. The Russos will also direct Avengers: Secret Wars.
via Collider