Summary
I’ve worked out exactly why theMCU’snewThanosreplacement is so perfect. Having been announced as San Diego Comic-Con 2024, it’s been revealed that Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as the leading antagonist Doctor Doom forAvengers: Doomsday. This is a role that will likely continue with the followingAvengers: Secret Warsand may even begin earlier withFantastic Four: First Steps. However, there’s a single core reason why RDJ as Doom works so well as a replacement for Thanos in the MCU.
Marvel Studios' Infinity Sagabegan with 2008’sIron Manand ended with 2019’sAvengers: Endgame(Spider-Man: Far From Homebeing an epilogue). Thanos the Mad Titan (Josh Brolin) served as the overarching villain who came to the forefront inAvengers: Infinity Warto claim the Infinity Stones and erase half of all life in the universe. However, Thanos and his forces were defeated inAvengers: Endgameby Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man following the Avengers' Battle of Earth.As such, there’s some prime poetry at work now that RDJ is returning to play Doctor Doom for the culmination of the current Multiverse Saga.
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RDJ’s Iron Man Defeated Thanos, Now He’s The MCU’s Doctor Doom
Dying As The Hero AND Becoming The Villain
Robert Downey Jr. coming back as Doctor Doom is a remarkable case of dying as the hero but ALSO living long enough to become the villain. It’s a twist on a concept that originally came from Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight,which many have attributed to this surprising Marvel casting.As Robert Downey Jr. himself said after removing his Doctor Doom mask on stage at SDCC:“New mask, same task”, the same task being his return to the MCU to help lead the franchise forward (though this time as a major villain rather than a hero).
Additionally, the fact thatRDJ’s Iron Man was the one who ultimately defeated ThanosinEndgamemakes this casting all the more intriguing and extremely poetic. The MCU’s Thanos replacement is the very same actor who played the hero who defeated the Mad Titan himself.It’s all very cyclical, one that makes Doctor Doom even more exciting as RDJ is likely to inherit the same kind of overarching villain role that Thanos had in the Infinity Saga.
Why RDJ Was A Great Choice For The MCU’s Next Major Villain
Admittedly, theMCU’s Multiverse Sagahas certainly had more missteps compared to the preceding Infinity Saga. For every major success likeSpider-Man: No Way HomeandDeadpool & Wolverine, there are a handful of projects that have significantly underperformed.This is why casting Robert Downey Jr. makes so much sense for Marvel Studios in this current era to help get them back on track. He’s already proven his ability as an actor to lead the MCU, it’s just that this time around it will be from the side of the villains as the MCU’s next big bad after Thanos.
