“Creatively Bankrupt”: Marvel Critics Respond to Robert Downey Jr.’s Return as Doctor Doom for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars

[Tsing]

Robert Downey Jr., the American actor best known for helping launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his portrayal of Tony Stark in 2008's Iron Man, has signed on to play iconic villain Victor Von Doom in two new Avengers films from the Russo Brothers—Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars—but not everyone is happy with the highly paid thespian's return, according to mounting criticism that has surfaced following the announcement, which Marvel Studios made during a packed panel at this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con event.

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[Peter_Brosdahl]

I seem to remember some sort of story with a Doom/Iron Man kind of thing but it was after I stopped reading comics in the late 2000s so I don't really know the details but I think it was similar to the Doc Oc/Parker thing that happened around the same time. I could rant on and on but there really are quite a few epic stories to be told without doing this one.

Aside from that, yeah I don't think this was a great move. There are so many great stories left to tell. Doom needs to happen but not like this. The other big news over the weekend was the Galactus light show over Hall H and that alone could lead up something cool. With the FF on the way they could build up to the trial of Reed Richards and mix in some really cool stuff. However I've already been reading some depressing stuff regarding the FF movie.

With X-men around the corner they could finally do the Phoenix story the right way and include the Shi'ar trial plus the battle on the moon where they got their butts kicked and she had to sacrifice herself. They've got the budget so no need to chump it out like Fox did. There's also the mutant annihilation story with Nimrod that had some cool parts to it. Heck, the Dire Wraiths and Rom and could be really awesome.

 

[Zarathustra]

I'm not a fan of superhero movies to begin with (too much suspense of disbelief for me) but I really hate it when they play fast and loose with portrayals.

If Robert Downey Jr. is coming back to the Marvel Universe, it should in some way be related to Stark.

Maybe Doctor Doom is somehow a Zombie Stark?

They shouldn't be breaking continuity by using different faces for the same character, or different characters with the same face.

 

[SeymourGore]

Maybe Doctor Doom is somehow a Zombie Stark?

I wouldn't be surprised if they go that route, they've already had a parallel universe 'Evil Dr Strange', so it wouldn't be that far fetched (albeit kinda boring). Personally, I hope they don't go this route and they make Doom his own unique separate character.

I don't mind the casting as RDJ for Doom, the character is always masked (and real ugly underneath), and RDJ is talented enough, where they could make Doom his own separate character.

Aside from that, yeah I don't think this was a great move. There are so many great stories left to tell. Doom needs to happen but not like this. The other big news over the weekend was the Galactus light show over Hall H and that alone could lead up something cool. With the FF on the way they could build up to the trial of Reed Richards and mix in some really cool stuff. However I've already been reading some depressing stuff regarding the FF movie.

I'm hoping the title 'Doomsday' signifies a reboot of the current MCU (and its multi-verse), I'd be much more excited for the future of Marvel if Doom ends the current universe, and its rebooted with all of the various Marvel properties (FF, Xmen, Avengers) with new actors and origins.

 

[Brian_B]

I could totally see Tony Stark in an alternate universe becoming Doom (or a Doom-like villian) instead of Iron Man.

But given that Doom is already Victor and not Tony - I am not entirely into it, but equally I am not offended enough to really care much about it.

 

[Niner51]

Ran across this after seeing the announcement and it explains the story line they are looking to follow. A "What If?" story line where Tony Stark is Victor Von Doom's roomate instead of Reed Richards. So @Peter_Brosdahl remembered correctly.