Robert Downey Jr. has returned to Marvel — but now as Dr. Doom, not Iron Man. And this turn of events is not very clear to his longtime MCU partner Gwyneth Paltrow.
«I don’t understand. So you’re a villain now?”» — Paltrow asked in the comments to publications Downey’s Instagram post announcing his return.
Paltrow has been on friendly terms with Downey Jr. since they were cast as Pepper Potts and Tony Stark in 2008’s «Iron Man», the film that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They went on to headline two more standalone «Iron Man» films and appeared together in several other MCU films, from «Spider-Man: Homecoming» to «Avengers: Infinity War» and others.
Marvel Weekend confirmed ancient rumors of a return Downey Jr. will appear in the next «Avengers» —, though in the role of Dr. Doom, not Iron Man (most likely, the actor will play a variant of Tony Stark, who became Dr. Doom in the MCU multiverse).
The same post also included a comment from the Russo brothers’ account, who also returned to Marvel to to direct the next two «Avengers» movies:
«We’ve always said that green is your color…».
Interestingly, Paltrow said during a Q&A session with fans last year that her time at Marvel was probably over, adding: «Why would you want Pepper Potts without Iron Man?», and Downey Jr. himself has repeatedly emphasized in interviews that would not mind returning to the MCU:
«With pleasure. It is an integral part of my DNA».
«Avengers: Doomsday» (which was previously known as «Avengers: Kang Dynasty») will hit theaters on May 1, 2026, while «Avengers: Secret Wars» will debut on May 7, 2027.
A potential villain. Robert Downey Jr. almost played another Marvel character before «Iron Man»
Source: Variety
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