After spending more than a decade as the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. has made a surprising choice between his two Marvel roles.
During an interview at D23, Downey was asked whether he preferred playing Tony Stark/Iron Man or his new role as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. For the moment, Doom has the edge.
Downey explained that playing the villain gave him an entirely different perspective on a massive Marvel production. Instead of standing alongside the MCU’s heroes, he suddenly found himself behind Doom’s mask and hood while nearly everyone else was positioned against him.
“I will say Doom, for now, because I got to really observe what I’ve been missing the whole time, just everybody else.”
Downey said the experience allowed him to appreciate his fellow cast members from a different perspective. He also teased an important relationship in Doomsday that he described as “exciting and unexpected and beautiful.”
The answer is particularly interesting considering Downey’s history with Marvel. He debuted as Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man and became the centerpiece of the MCU throughout the Infinity Saga before Stark sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.
Robert Downey Jr, Doctor Doom [Marvel Studios]
Doctor Doom, however, has given Downey the opportunity to approach the Marvel universe from the opposite side. The actor recently explained that while Stark and Doom are both brilliant scientific minds, their trauma sends them down dramatically different paths. Tony’s experiences ultimately pushed him toward becoming a hero, while Doom goes in the opposite direction and becomes a threat powerful enough to require Marvel’s heroes to unite against him.
Marvel gave audiences another look at Downey’s Doom during D23 with new Avengers: Doomsday footage. The special look further establishes Doom as the central threat while bringing together characters from the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-Men corners of the Marvel universe.
Downey choosing Doom doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ready to leave Tony Stark behind completely. Disney also confirmed at D23 that the actor will reprise Stark for the upcoming Avengers Infinity Defense attraction at Disney California Adventure.
For now, though, Downey appears to be enjoying life on the other side of the Marvel universe.
Avengers: Doomsday, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, arrives in theaters December 18, 2026.
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