Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Casting Explained: How Does It Make Sense?

It’s been known for quite some time that Marvel Studios has fired Jonathan Majors and that he will not be portraying Kang the Conqueror in future MCU installments. Soon, following his dismissal various rumors appeared that ‘The Kang Dynasty’ would be reworked with a different villain as the main focus.

This made sense at the time, considering that Majors’ Kang wasn’t received all that well, and just a few months prior ‘Quantumania’ bombed big-time.

During this year’s SDCC, Marvel Studios has finally confirmed the rumors. ‘Kang Dynasty’ was retitled ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and Doctor Doom is bound to be the next big MCU villain, but the biggest shock of the night was that Robert Downey Jr. will be portraying him.

Numerous fans had mixed opinions on this casting, primarily due to the most glaring issue with it – Robert Downey Jr. is already one of the most important characters in the MCU, Iron Man, and Iron Man died during the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in the most emotionally charged finale of any superhero movie ever.

So, how can Robert Downey Jr. return? And as a different character at that? Well, if you think that Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man will be resurrected and turn rogue, you are incorrect as RDJ will likely portray Doctor Doom from a different reality altogether, meaning that he will be a variant in MCU’s Earth-616 reality.

The concept of variant is nothing new in the MCU. We’ve already seen it play out on screen numerous times. Gamora returned as a variant, Loki we’ve been following in two seasons of the show is technically a variant, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is a variant and not “the real Wolverine.” Majors himself played several variants, He Who Remains, Victor Timely, Kang, Council of Kangs.

RDJ’s casting is especially confusing since the same actor will be portraying two different characters and not a variant of Iron Man (as far as we know.) RJD’s Doctor Doom likely won’t have any connection to Earth-616 reality and Iron Man whatsoever, in fact, it’s extremely likely that he will hail from the same reality that the Fantastic Four are set to arrive from as the character is heavily rumored to appear with a quick cameo in ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps.’ Doctor Doom will arrive on Earth-616 likely through the same means as Fantastic Four.

It’s still going to be difficult to completely separate Doctor Doom from Iron Man, but as soon as you deal with the fact that the characters aren’t connected (at this point in time, supposedly) at all, it gets easier. Doctor Doom’s origin story shouldn’t change anything when it comes to Iron Man’s story in the MCU, as Feige stated numerous times that Iron Man’s death won’t be touched. So don’t expect him to get resurrected and turn evil – that would just undo some of the best projects in the MCU.

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