At their recently concluded panel at SDCC 2024, Marvel dropped a couple of major shockers about their upcoming Avengers movies. Anthony and Joe Russo, collectively known as the Russo Bros, return to helm both films after having previously made Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, the biggest surprise of all was the return of Robert Downey Jr, who had iconically played Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, and was a major factor in the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This time, however, he is not returning as an Avenger but as their peskiest nemesis: Doctor Doom. ‘Avengers–Doomsday’: Robert Downey Jr Surprises Fans at SDCC 2024 To Announce His MCU Return As Doctor Doom (Watch Video).

Avengers 5, which was once titled Avengers: Kang Dynasty, is now called Avengers: Doomsday, confirming that Jonathan Majors' Kang won't be deciding the fate of the upcoming Avengers movies. This change follows the tepid response to his character in Ant-Man: Quantumania and the actor's real-life assault conviction. Instead, it will be RDJ's Doctor Doom who will be taking charge. To understand what kind of threat RDJ will pose to the existing Avengers, it is imperative to understand who Doctor Doom is.

Doctor Doom: Origins and Powers

Doctor Doom, whose real name is Victor Von Doom, is a fictional supervillain created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, first appearing in The Fantastic Four Issue #5 in July 1962. Victor Von Doom is the ruler of the fictional nation of Latveria. He is a brilliant scientist and inventor with a genius-level intellect, skilled in advanced technology and mystic arts. Disfigured by his own scientific experiment, Doom wears a mask to hide his scars. His primary motivations are often depicted as a combination of a desire for power, revenge, and a belief that he can save the world if he is in charge.

Doctor Doom (Photo Credits: Marvel)

Doom's suit of armour, which he crafted himself, provides him with superhuman strength, durability, and a variety of weapons. Imagine Iron Man but evil. Is this why RDJ was brought back to the MCU?

Doctor Doom is considered one of the greatest villains in the Marvel Universe. He is primarily a major foe for the Fantastic Four but has often clashed with other heroes like the Avengers, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange. He also has a crucial role to play in the Secret Wars saga.

How Doctor Doom is Connected to 'Secret Wars'

There are two popular Secret Wars storylines in Marvel comics, and both feature Doctor Doom in significant roles. In the original storyline from 1984-85, a powerful intergalactic entity called the Beyonder creates 'Battleworld,' an arena where he brings superheroes and supervillains to fight each other, including Doctor Doom. Doom manages to steal the Beyonder's powers and creates his utopian society on Battleworld, but the powers ultimately go beyond his control. The Beyonder later takes back his powers and banishes Doom. Mr Fantastic creates a teleportation device that allows the heroes and villains to return home. Marvel at SDCC 2024: Robert Downey Jr As Doctor Doom in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ to ‘Thunderbolts’ Trailer Reveal, All Major Updates Revealed by Kevin Feige at the Event.

The MCU is likely to adapt the 2015 Secret Wars storyline, aligning with their present multiverse crisis. In this version, Doctor Doom is central to the storyline. As the Marvel Multiverse faces imminent destruction, Doom steals the Beyonders' power, becoming God Emperor Doom. With this god-like power, Doom creates a new Battleworld composed of fragments from destroyed universes. He rules this patchwork planet with an iron fist, declaring himself its supreme being. However, his rule is challenged by heroes from the remnants of the old universes, particularly Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic). The story culminates in Doom's defeat, with Reed Richards using Doom's stolen power to restore the multiverse.

Previous Big Screen Portrayals of Doctor Doom

On the big screen, Doctor Doom first appeared in Tim Story's 2005 film Fantastic Four, with Julian McMahon playing the role of Victor Von Doom. He funded the protagonists' space journey, which gave them their powers, and he also gained his powers similarly. While others used their powers to become heroes, he became a villain. McMahon reprised the role in the 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

In the 2015 film Fantastic Four, directed by Josh Trank, Von Doom was repurposed as a genius computer programmer working for the Baxter Foundation. He was played by Toby Kebbell. Like the previous Fantastic Four film, he gains his powers simultaneously with the heroes. This time instead of a space mission gone wrong, they make an uncalled-for trip to a dangerous dimension called Planet Zero, where certain accidents lead to the protagonists being affected with strange abilities, while Doom goes missing in the accident. The scientists later discover him, but his body is now merged with his suit, and he has strong telekinetic powers and force field projection. Doom kills all the scientists in the building, including Sue and Johnny Storm's father, before returning to Planet Zero, where the heroes chase and ultimately defeat him.

Fans didn't like the previous two big-screen iterations of Doctor Doom. Will Robert Downey Jr's depiction change the perception of the character? How will the rest of the Avengers react to seeing their idol's face on their biggest foe? The answers will be delivered when Avengers: Doomsday drops on May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars arrives on May 7, 2027.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2024 10:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).