The Queen Who Never Was : House Of Dragon

 

Robert Downey Jr. is making a sensational return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this time stepping into the role of Doctor Doom in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday.” This highly anticipated film will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who are also returning to Marvel to helm two new “Avengers” movies: “Doomsday,” which introduces Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom, and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”

Though Downey had hinted in recent interviews that he was open to returning to Marvel, fans naturally expected him to reprise his iconic role as Iron Man/Tony Stark. However, his return as the villainous Victor von Doom has taken everyone by surprise, electrifying the audience at Marvel’s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con. Downey made a triumphant appearance in Hall H on Saturday evening to announce his comeback.

Downey first captivated audiences as the charismatic Tony Stark in 2008’s “Iron Man,” the debut film of the interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe, created under the vision of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. Over the next 11 years, Downey reprised his role in 10 Marvel films, including “Iron Man 2,” “Iron Man 3,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “The Avengers,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame.” The latter saw the emotional death of Iron Man, a moment Feige emphasized last December that he had no intention of undoing.

“We are going to keep that moment and not touch it again,” Feige told Vanity Fair regarding Iron Man’s death. “We worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.”

Despite not returning as Iron Man, Downey had been vocal about his willingness to rejoin the Marvel fold. In an interview with Esquire magazine following his Oscar win for “Oppenheimer,” Downey confirmed his interest in returning to the MCU.

“Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA,” Downey said. “That role chose me. And look, I always say, ‘Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.’ It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

Downey’s comeback as Victor von Doom caps off an extraordinary year for the actor. His portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in March. More recently, Downey starred in Park Chan-wook’s mini-series “The Sympathizer” on HBO, playing CIA operative Claude and several other roles, earning an Emmy nomination for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Anthology.