What Every MCU Actor Has Said About RDJ Returning As Doctor Doom

Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was perhaps the franchise’s most shocking announcement ever, and several MCU stars have shared their thoughts on RDJ’s casting as Doctor Doom. Downey’s Iron Man appearances were responsible for establishing the MCU and making it the major success that it became. The actor was active in the franchise throughout the MCU’s most popular period, departing with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which became the highest-grossing film ever for a time.

After Downey left, only a few of the MCU’s best movies came during the Multiverse Saga. Overall, this new chapter of the franchise has been facing way more criticism than the Infinity Saga. After Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors was fired, Marvel turned to Doctor Doom — and Downey — to serve as the main villain of the next two Avengers movies. The MCU’s star-studded roster has since had a lot to say about RDJ’s Doctor Doom casting.

15 Tom Holland

MCU Character: Spider-Man

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is one of the MCU characters who was the closest to RDJ’s Tony Stark. As such, it will be interesting to see how Spider-Man will react to discovering that Doctor Doom shares his mentor’s face. Holland has commented on Downey’s Doctor Doom casting, and it did not surprise him.

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The reason for that is because Holland was one of the few who knew about it before the official announcement. The Spider-Man star recently revealed that he has been “speaking to Downey a lot,” especially about his MCU return. Holland felt it was a hard secret to keep due to his reputation for revealing spoilers.

14 Julia Louis-Dreyfus

MCU Character: Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is seemingly the new owner of Avengers Tower, which connects her to Downey’s Tony Stark in a way, even though the two have never shared the screen. As the creator of the MCU’s Thunderbolts, Valentina has a mysterious agenda, and maybe it could align with RDJ’s Doctor Doom.

Confirmed Thunderbolts Cast Member	Character The Actor Plays
Sebastian Stan	James “Bucky” Barnes, A.K.A. The Winter Soldier
Florence Pugh	Yelena Belova, A.K.A. Black Widow
Wyatt Russell	John Walker, A.K.A. US Agent
David Harbour	Alexei Shostakov, A.K.A. Red Guardian
Hannah John-Kamen	Ava Starr, A.K.A. Ghost
Olga Kurylenko	Antonia Dreykov, A.K.A. Taskmaster
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
Harrison Ford	President Thaddeus Ross
Lewis Pullman	Bob (Sentry)
Geraldine Viswanathan	Unconfirmed

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Louis-Dreyfus briefly commented on the news of Downey’s MCU return as Doctor Doom, saying, “That’s cool.” Based on how her key role in next year’s Thunderbolts* makes Valentina a kind of darker Nick Fury, it will be intriguing to see her take on the threat Doctor Doom presents.

13 Lewis Pullman

MCU Character: Bob (Rumored To Be Sentry)

Lewis Pullman will share the screen with Louis-Dreyfus in Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*. While Marvel has yet to officially reveal the true identity of Pullman’s Bob, the actor’s character has been teased to be Sentry. As one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel Comics, Sentry could help the Avengers take down RDJ’s Doctor Doom.

Following Thunderbolts*‘s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, Pullman also spoke to GamesRadar+ about Downey’s MCU return. He had more to say than his Thunderbolts* co-star. Pullman loved the news, noting RDJ’s importance as the origin of the MCU with 2008’s Iron Man.

12 Sebastian Stan

MCU Character: Bucky Barnes

Sebastian Stan is one of the MCU’s longest-running stars, having joined the franchise in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. After some major events in his life, the character will be one of the main stars of next year’s Thunderbolts*. Stan’s Bucky Barnes killed Iron Man’s parents when he was still the Winter Soldier.

With Bucky now seeking atonement for his sins, meeting RDJ’s Doctor Doom, who may be a Tony Stark variant, could prove to be too much. As far as Stan is concerned, Avengers: Doomsday needs to unite him and Downey. The Winter Soldier actor says, “I hope I’m in a scene with him.”

11 Anthony Mackie

MCU Character: Captain America (Sam Wilson)

Sebastian Stan’s longtime MCU scene partner, Captain America actor Anthony Mackie, also wants to interact with Downey’s Doctor Doom. However, Mackie offered a more bloody version of what could come of that meeting. The MCU actor jokingly said to The Hollywood Reporter, “I better kill him first.”

Footage from Mackie’s Captain America: Brave New World, the actor’s first MCU movie as a lead, teases that Sam Wilson will lead the new Avengers. Like Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, the new Captain America should play a big role in the next two Avengers movies. As such, Mackie could end up seeing his Doctor Doom wish come true.

10 Elizabeth Olsen

MCU Character: Scarlet Witch

Elizabeth Olsen has become one of the MCU’s most popular stars after WandaVision. Currently, the Scarlet Witch is dead. However, given how Agatha All Along has been teasing Wanda’s return, the character could be back in Avengers: Doomsday. In the comics, the Scarlet Witch is found in a relationship with Doom after going missing for years.

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Given her love for Vision in the MCU, perhaps Marvel could make Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and RDJ’s Doctor Doom allies without romance. Olsen was surprised by Downey’s MCU return. The actress revealed that many people asked her if she knew, but the MCU star did not, saying, “[I] had to go on the internet to find out.”

9 Don Cheadle

MCU Character: War Machine

Don Cheadle is one of the MCU stars who will be the most interesting to see opposite RDJ in his return. Cheadle’s Rhodey was Tony Stark’s best friend. Having War Machine fight Doctor Doom could be heartbreaking due to that long MCU connection between the stars, especially if Doom and Tony have any in-universe links.

Cheadle was shocked that Downey chose to come back to play Doctor Doom, saying, “‘What the f*ck?’” Cheadle then noted how he could not share any Avengers: Doomsday teases, given how Marvel is rewriting and reworking the movie. With Doctor Doom taking over from Kang the Conqueror, major changes are certainly needed.

8 Charlie Cox

MCU Character: Daredevil

Charlie Cox still has to appear in an Avengers movie. With Matt Murdock now an active part of the MCU, 2025’s Daredevil: Born Again could set him up for a big screen adventure. Cox’s Daredevil could be one of the leaders of a street-level Avengers team that takes on Doctor Doom and any minions who try to take over the planet.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will be the faces of the MCU’s street-level heroes.

While Daredevil might not present much of a challenge to the powerful Doctor Doom, Cox wants to meet RDJ’s new MCU villain. The actor is excited about his future at Marvel Studios. Talking about Downey’s Victor von Doom, Cox said, “[It] feels like now anything can happen, and I hope that it does!“

7 Jeff Goldblum

MCU Character: The Grandmaster

Jeff Goldblum had a very Goldblum-like answer to RDJ’s MCU return, full of the actor’s signature flair. When asked on the Happy Sad Confused podcast about Downey’s shocking MCU comeback, the Grandmaster actor said, “I’d heard whispers on my peripheral” and “Victor von Doom… I like that name.” Check out the full quote below:

“Excellent news. I think I vaguely heard the… yes, yes, I’d heard whispers on my peripheral. Yes, channels. Victor von Doom… I like that name. If my name had been Victor von Doom, I’d be a long further along than I am now. That’s a great name. Or Von to anything. Or Van.”

Goldblum’s Grandmaster has no project set to return to the MCU. The character is one of the Elders of the Universe in Marvel Comics, beings who could go on to live forever. Based on his vast experience, Doctor Doom could either befriend the Grandmaster or steal his knowledge for himself to conquer the multiverse.

6 Gwyneth Paltrow

MCU Character: Pepper Potts

Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. created a bond through their MCU roles. As Marvel Studios’ first onscreen couple, Paltrow’s Pepper Potts and Downey’s Tony Stark would face several threats together. Pepper was by Tony’s side when he died, and the character finding out that Doctor Doom shares her dead husband’s face would surely make for an emotional moment.

Paltrow was one of the first to comment on RDJ’s return. In hilarious fashion, Paltrow asked Downey on Instagram, “I don’t get it, are you a baddie now?” Previously, the star said she stopped appearing in the MCU because Iron Man died, but with Downey back, perhaps Paltrow could be included to return in Avengers: Doomsday.

5 Mark Ruffalo

MCU Character: Bruce Banner/The Hulk

A couple of the MCU’s original Avengers have also shared their thoughts on Downey’s surprise MCU return. Like Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo also left a comment on RDJ’s Instagram. With a clear nod to his own MCU hero, the Hulk, Ruffalo said, “Hey Brat, green suits you.”

Ruffalo should share the big screen with Downey in both Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law set up a story of Banner learning that he has a son. Adding to that, as one of the MCU’s smartest and strongest characters, Smart Hulk will be a major asset against Doctor Doom.

4 Florence Pugh

MCU Character: Yelena Belova

Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova is universally regarded as one of the MCU’s best new additions during the Multiverse Saga. The character has already appeared in multiple projects, with Yelena serving as the main star of 2025’s Thunderbolts*. Talking to Variety, Pugh shared her thoughts about Downey’s Doctor Doom reveal at San Diego Comic-Con, saying, “I bet it went insane in there.”

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As the most likely candidate to take over as the new Black Widow, Pugh’s Yelena Belova should play a key role in the Avengers films. Yelena’s resourcefulness could help the MCU’s heroes take on RDJ’s Doctor Doom. Yelena and one other or more Thunderbolts members could even join the Avengers team.

3 David Harbour

MCU Character: Red Guardian

Another Thunderbolts* star who commented on Downey’s Doctor Doom casting was David Harbour. Red Guardian was hilarious in Black Widow, and as the first trailer for Thunderbolts* has shown, the character will once again play the comedic relief role in the team movie. Red Guardian’s reaction to meeting someone as powerful as Doctor Doom would be fun to see.

Like his character would, Harbour joked to Variety about RDJ’s MCU return. The actor noted how Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars directors, the Russo Brothers, said that Downey is the greatest actor in the world. Harbour jokingly said, “Nobody wants to act with that guy.”

2 Jeremy Renner

MCU Character: Hawkeye

Besides Ruffalo, another original MCU Avenger has commented on Downey coming back to the franchise. According to Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the star had no idea that Downey was returning. While Renner noted that he and RDJ are close, the actor was shocked, saying, “This son of a b*tch didn’t say anything to me.”

Renner’s Clint Barton continues to be active in the MCU. The actor has said that he would love to come back for more as Hawkeye and is waiting for Marvel to call him. Based on the scope of Avengers: Doomsday, both MCU versions of Hawkeye, Renner’s Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, should help fight Doctor Doom.

1 Bonus: Robert Downey Jr.

MCU Character: Iron Man/Doctor Doom

While several MCU stars have commented on his shocking return to the franchise, Downey himself has also shed light on the process of becoming Doctor Doom. According to the actor, it all started a year ago during talks with Kevin Feige. The President of Marvel Studios suggested that RDJ could return to the franchise as Victor von Doom.

After hearing about it from Feige, Downey looked up the character. The actor was intrigued by Doctor Doom, later talking with Disney CEO Bob Iger and signing on to play the MCU’s Doctor Doom. With Downey as the villain, the Multiverse Saga is back on track, and Kang the Conqueror will likely be left in the past.

Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom – played by the returning Robert DOwney Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.

Release Date May 1, 2026 Franchise(s) The Avengers
Avengers: Secret Wars
Avengers: Secret Wars is the sixth Avengers film and takes place during phase six of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. The film will see several heroes from the prior phases return and battle against a cosmic threat to rival Thanos, and borrows elements of the Marvel Comics event of the same name.

Release Date May 7, 2027 Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe