Robert Downey Jr. shocked, energized and dismayed various comic book fans earlier this summer when it was announced that he would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom in 2026 Avengers: Endgame. He recently revealed a few more details about how he secured another big Hollywood win.
Talking about the last episode from The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter Podcast, the occasional singer and Ally McBeal The season four star outlined in broad strokes how he was recruited to return to the most lucrative and perhaps most worn-out franchise in film history. Although he avenger behind him after his death in 2019 FinalRDJ said he is still in contact with directors Anthony and Joe Russo, as well as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
He had agreed to meet with Feige in 2023 to reprise his role as Iron Man for appearances at certain Disney theme parks when the executive blindsided him with a much bigger proposal. “He said, ‘It keeps coming to mind if you came back…’ and Susan [his wife] was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?'” Downey said in the podcastand thinks back to the fateful encounter.
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Feige apparently talked repeatedly about all the problems associated with bringing RDJ back before turning to his pitch for Doom. “‘How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to exceed expectations?'” Downey said, describing the concerns. “And he mentioned Victor Von Doom. I looked into that character. Later he said, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.'”
The seed was planted, and the actor said he later met with Disney CEO Bob Iger to see what was in store for the Stark Flight Lab ride with Iron Man theme and other parts of the Disneyland MCU attraction called “Avengers Infinity Defense.”“So I asked Kevin, ‘Can I talk to Bob Iger?'” Downey said. “He said, ‘About?’ I said, ‘About everything.’ I was at Bob’s house and I don’t know how to describe the experience. I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences, but I went to Iger’s place, we sat down and he said, ‘I like it.’ I said, ‘He likes it.'”
Downey later said that the Avengers-based Disney rides being worked on were breathtaking, but did not reveal any further details about why the same could be said about his return to the MCU as Doom. He also left out the part where he apparently gets 80 million dollars and many other exclusive perks to come back and try to revitalize the currently flagging transmedia comic book hero industrial complex.
