Robert Downey Jr. shocked, energized, and dismayed various comic book fans earlier this summer when it was revealed he would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday. More recently, he shared a bit more detail on how he found himself back in line for another massive Hollywood payday.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, the occasional singer and Ally McBeal season 4 star outlined in broad strokes how he was enlisted to return to the most lucrative, and perhaps played out, franchise in movie history. Despite leaving the Avengers behind after dying in 2019's Endgame, RDJ said he still keeps in touch with directors Anthony and Joe Russo, as well as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
He was set up to meet with Feige in 2023 to discuss reprising his Iron Man role for performances tied to certain Disney theme park attractions when the executive ambushed him with a much bigger proposal. “He said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me, if you were to come back…,’ and Susan [his wife] was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?,’” Downey said on the podcast, thinking back to the fateful encounter.
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Feige apparently kept talking about all the problems with bringing RDJ back before pivoting to his pitch for Doom. “‘How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations?’” Downey said, describing the concerns. “And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked into this character. Later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.’”
The seed planted, the actor said he later met with Disney CEO Bob Iger to survey what was being worked on for the Iron Man-themed Stark Flight Lab ride and other parts of the Disneyland MCU attraction called “Avengers Infinity Defense.” “So then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’” Downey said. “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.’
Downey later said that the Avengers-based Disney rides being worked were mind-blowing, but didn’t spill any more details about why the same might be said for how he’ll being returning to the MCU as Doom. He also left out the part where he’s apparently getting $80 million and lots of other exclusive perks in order to come back and try to revive the currently faltering transmedia comic book hero industrial complex.