Robert Downey Jr. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Photographs
Robert Downey Jr. is revealing how his deal to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe got here collectively.
The previous Iron Man actor shook the world in July when he introduced his MCU comeback as Improbable 4 villain Physician Doom at San Diego Comedian-Con. Downey will play the comedian e-book antagonist in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast on Tuesday, August 20, the Oppenheimer star detailed his discussions with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger to return to the franchise — and what sealed the deal.
Downey famous that he and Feige are “friends” and have stored in contact since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which served as Tony Stark/Iron Man’s MCU swan track.
Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has everybody speaking — together with his former costars. After Downey, 59, took to the stage at San Diego Comedian-Con on Saturday, July 27, to disclose he’ll play Physician Doom within the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, stars together with Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo […]
“I had this intuition that I wished to go to Bob Iger and I had an concept, outdoors of the cinematic universe, for a way I might be of service to what’s happening within the [theme] parks,” Downey defined. “[My wife] Susan and I have been sitting down with Feige and he mentioned, ‘It simply retains occurring to me that when you have been to return again …’ Susan was like, ‘Wait. Wait. Come again as what?’”
Describing Feige as a “very subtle, inventive thinker,” Downey, 59, revealed how the Marvel boss broached the thought of him enjoying Physician Doom.
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, 2008. Cowl Photographs
“[Kevin said], ‘How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we proceed to beat expectations?’ And he introduced up Victor Von Doom,” mentioned the Oscar winner. “And I regarded into this character and I used to be like, ‘Wow.’ In a while, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom proper.’”
Following his dialogue with Feige, Downey met with Iger, who mentioned he favored the thought of the actor enjoying Doom. Iger then organized for Downey and Feige to go to Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney’s analysis and improvement facility in Glendale, California. Downey mentioned he was blown away by the cutting-edge improvements that Disney was engaged on.
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“You wanna discuss two guys that aren’t simple to have their minds blown, not to mention on the identical time … I can’t say an excessive amount of however what’s going on there proper now’s past my expectation of what was doable,” he mentioned.
Following the go to, Downey agreed to return to Marvel as Physician Doom. He defined, “It’s additionally the one method that I felt like I may give a sure entertainment-seeking viewers one thing they might have a hankering to have an expertise of, in a method the place I can proceed to develop my curiosity in the way forward for leisure. The place the hell else would you go however there?”
