Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU is not happening as many Marvel fans expected, and his casting as Doctor Doom has been another divisive decision by Kevin Feige. Now the former Iron Man star has been discussing how his surprising San Diego Comic-Con reveal came to be, and elaborating on the chat with Feige that led to the monumental moment.

In an interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Downey Jr. spoke about his casting as Doom for the first time, sharing a little more detail on how it came to be. He began:

“So, probably a year ago…cause, you know, [Kevin] Feige and I have kept in touch. We’re pals. Favreau, Feige, and I have kept in touch. I’m close with the Russo Brothers; we have other business we’re doing. So, there’s this little group of fellow travelers and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger and I had an idea outside of the Cinematic Universe for how I could be of service to what’s going on in the Parks and all their location-based entertainment.”

During the chat with Feige, Downey Jr. and his wife Susan discovered that the Marvel boss never stops thinking, and had the perfect idea of how Downey Jr. could return to the franchise on screen in a way other than going back to Iron Man. He continued:

“Susan and I were sitting down with Feige at one point, and he said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me that if you were to come back…’ and Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?’ Then we both realized over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy, a very sophisticated creative thinker, about how can we not go backwards, how can we not disappoint expectations, how we can continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked up this character and I was like, ‘Wow.'”

Later, Kevin goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let’s get that right.’

“So then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About?’ I go, ‘About everything. I’d gone to Bob’s house and I don’t know how to describe that experience. I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences, but I go to Iger’s pad, we sit down and he goes, ‘I like it.’ I was like, ‘He likes it.’ He said, ‘Come by the Imagineering Campus.’ Feige and I go to the Imagineering Campus and you want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time…I can’t say too much, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible.”

Will Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom Appear Before Avengers: Doomsday?

While there is a lengthy wait for Downey Jr. to get his moment to shine as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, there are many whispers that fans will not have to wait that long to see the actor make his debut as the legendary Marvel villain. If rumors are to be believed, next year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps will repeat The Avengers’ post-credits Thanos tease and introduce the Multiverse Saga’s new main antagonist.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is already set to be a pivotal entry in the Marvel franchise. The last attempt to bring Marvel’s first family to screens in 2015 ended up being one of the worst comic book movies in the Marvel catalog. While Matt Shakman’s movie avoids one of that film’s biggest issues – the dreaded origin story curse – it still has many hurdles to overcome to ensure it doesn’t join the 2023 roll call of shame.

Reportedly set in an alternate reality, we already know that the planet-eating Galactus is the film’s villain, but that doesn’t mean that Downey Jr.’s version of Victor Von Doom is out of the picture. In fact, being one of the Fantastic Four’s main adversaries in Marvel Comics, it is the perfect place to find Doom and tease his journey through time and space to become the biggest threat the MCU has seen to date.

Naturally, until Fantastic Four: First Steps is released in theaters, we can only speculate on if, and how, Downey Jr. will make that debut. Marvel Studios do not give away secrets like free candy, and anything about Doctor Doom is likely to be one of the most guarded secrets of the entire Multiverse Saga. With or without Downey Jr. putting in an appearance, Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on July 25, 2025.

Avengers: Doomsday
will release in cinemas on May 1, 2026.