Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom Avengers: Armageddon Unless Marvel breaks one important rule of Doctor Doom, the movie might be wasted. Marvel Studios made a lot of big reveals at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, but arguably none was more important than the return of Robert Downey Jr. – best known for his MCU career as Tony Stark – as Doctor Doom. This will ostensibly take place in Avengers: Armageddonwhose participation will be announced at the same time as the title, although it is still possible that he will join Fantastic Four: First Steps Vote first.
Regardless, the fact that Don Ryan is playing another character in the multiverse saga has sparked a flurry of speculation. While established rules regarding MCU variants could explain how Don Ryan’s Doctor Doom came to be, concerns about this casting decision run a little deeper. First, Don Ryan’s massive star power is inextricably tied to Tony Stark, the de facto protagonist of the Infinity Saga. Second, that same star power might require the removal of one of Doctor Doom’s most iconic features: his mask.
Why does Doctor Doom always wear a mask?
Doctor Doom is obsessed with hiding his flaws
Doctor Doom is one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic villains, and his connection to his armor is as strong as, if not stronger than, that of Tony Stark. His mask is a manifestation of that connection, and he originally wore it to hide a scar on his face that resulted from an experiment he conducted with Reed Richards, who he and Richards went to college with. The severity and specifics of this scar have changed over the course of Doctor Doom’s long comic book history, but its purpose has always been the same: to hide a flaw that Doctor Doom finds unacceptable.
Another origin story for Doctor Doom’s mask is that he wore it to cover up a small blemish on the mask while it was still red and hot, causing the scar underneath to get worse.
The mask thus symbolizes Doom’s obsession, which in turn is the source of his evil. Doom is synonymous with Tony Stark in the Marvel Universe, as they both want to protect humanity. However, Doom’s perfectionism manifests itself in a desire to exert absolute control over humanity, believing that he is the only one who can ensure the safety of humanity without allowing flaws in the system. Doom therefore hides behind a mask, showing that he can control the obvious flaws on his face – and his commitment to this means that he will never willingly take off the mask.
Robert Downey Jr. is not the actor wearing the mask
Marvel will profit from RDJ
Bringing Robert Downey Jr. back as Doom raises a pertinent question: how Marvel intends to deal with this inescapable aspect of Doom. It’s no secret that the MCU has been struggling since Robert Downey Jr.’s departure, and the MCU’s success has been heavily tied to his contributions as Iron Man in the Infinity Saga. As such, the leading theory is that Marvel Studios brought him back in order to reinvigorate the franchise with his proven star power, lending credence to the idea that “there’s no MCU without Robert Downey Jr.”
While this might be a cynical interpretation of the situation – after all, the multiverse saga already includes incredible RDJ-less successes, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home – This suggests that the series needs to capitalize on his image. Having RDJ wearing a mask throughout almost completely defeats the purpose of having him return. Besides, he won’t be cheap, and using his image as much as possible in the film would equate to Marvel getting the most bang for their buck. However, how the studio intends to do this without trampling heavily on Doom’s origins remains to be seen.
Will Avengers: Doom change Doom’s origins?
Marvel (Probably) Won’t Risk Changing Doom
Story details Avengers: Armageddon Still, it’s hard to speculate how Marvel will approach this dilemma. While there’s a concern that Marvel will simply change Doom’s modus operandi to have him take off his mask whenever he gets the chance, this would contradict Marvel’s years of (mostly) faithfulness to the comic book source material. Plus, it was recently revealed that RDJ said Kevin Feige intends to “[Getting] Victor Von Doom That’s right.“With that in mind, asking him to take his mask off during every altercation sounds unlikely.
There are still many ways Marvel can achieve the best of both worlds in this regard. Doom may not take off the mask voluntarily, but he may be forced to do so. The studio can also depict Doom’s origin in detail and ensure that RDJ’s face gets enough screen time in the scenes before the mask is put on. In addition, RDJ has a wealth of acting experience, including “Under the Mask”, in close-up, he speaks from inside the Iron Man armor – a scene the MCU will likely repeat in Doom.
Ultimately, we won’t know how Marvel will handle this until more details are released. Avengers: Armageddon In this regard, the release Fantastic Four: First Steps 2025’s Doctor Doom may be a harbinger of what Marvel Studios is about to do. Until then, it’s safer to assume that Marvel Studios won’t risk another failed live-action Doctor Doom.