Avengers: Doomsday – The MCU’s Past Shows That Doctor Doom Can Be Tony Stark

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Avengers: Doomsday - The MCU's Past Shows That Doctor Doom Can Be Tony Stark

Highlights

  • Marvel Studios often changes character origins, opening the possibility of Tony Stark as Doctor Doom.
  • Robert Downey Jr. returns to MCU as Doctor Doom, surprising fans after playing Iron Man for over a decade.
  • The MCU’s history of reimagining characters leaves room for Tony Stark to potentially be the MCU’s Doctor Doom.

As a die-hard Marvel fan who has followed the MCU since its inception, I must say that the prospect of Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom is nothing short of exhilarating! The fact that he’s been associated with Tony Stark for over a decade makes this potential twist even more intriguing.

In relation to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios often takes ideas from the comics but gives the stories a unique twist. It’s quite normal for them to rework character backgrounds, as demonstrated with Spider-Man, and even modify story arcs to suit their grand narrative design. So, while it might seem unexpected, there’s nothing inherently impossible about Robert Downey Jr. portraying Doctor Doom if the character was written as Tony Stark.

Robert Downey Jr. played a significant role in kick-starting the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bringing the character of Tony Stark (Iron Man) to life in the 2008 movie “Iron Man.” Over the ensuing years, he portrayed this character for more than a decade, culminating with Tony Stark’s heroic end in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” There are rumors that Downey Jr. might be assuming the role of Victor von Doom for Marvel Studios, but it’s also plausible he could play Tony Stark as Doctor Doom instead.

How Downey Jr. Set His MCU Return as Doctor Doom

Avengers: Doomsday - The MCU's Past Shows That Doctor Doom Can Be Tony Stark

For quite some time, whispers about Doctor Doom appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have persisted. Many presumed that this infamous villain would first appear in the reboot of Fantastic Four produced by Marvel Studios. However, they chose Galactus for the film instead. Subsequently, there were rumors that they would introduce the villain in a post-credits scene for the movie, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet.

For Downey Jr., returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was an easy decision. The actor recalled his time within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, explaining that it was embedded within his DNA, and that he was thankful for the role. At the time of the announcement, it was unclear if he would be playing a Tony Stark variant of Doom, or if he would simply be playing Victor von Doom. The latest reports suggest that the actor is playing Victor von Doom, but there is always the chance that his Doom could still be a Tony Stark variant.

How Tony Stark Can be the MCU’s Doctor Doom

Marvel Studios frequently adjusts elements when introducing characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sometimes altering names and reworking characters and storylines for various reasons. For instance, Man Ape was renamed M’Baku, and Cull Obsidian became Black Dwarf. They often modify characters and plots in their live-action adaptations, as shown by Jane Foster’s Thor, Adrian Toomes (a.k.a Vulture), Nebula, The Mandarin, and Bucky Barnes. Marvel Studios manages to stay faithful to the source material while making these characters unique. Could it be that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark is portraying a variation of Doctor Doom? This idea seems plausible given Marvel’s history of altering characters and storylines for the big screen. Recent reports indicate that Downey Jr. will play Victor von Doom, which implies his role as Tony Stark won’t influence this new character. However, Marvel Studios doesn’t always follow the comics strictly, leaving room for an alternate origin story. After all, Doctor Doom has been adapted before for the big screen. To make the villain memorable, like Thanos, while ensuring this version of Doom stands apart from previous versions in the Fox Marvel Universe is a challenge Marvel Studios will strive to meet.

Is it necessary for Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Doom to be linked to Tony Stark? Not at all. In the comics, there’s a storyline where Stark and Doom essentially swap roles, with Doom attempting to tarnish Stark’s reputation as Stark establishes a rival company to Stark Industries in Latveria. The “What If…?” storyline from “Demon in Armor” could provide an engaging introduction of Doom into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although Marvel Studios has demonstrated a knack for taking risks with characters and their origins, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will significantly alter Doom’s origins for film. For now, we can only speculate how the Marvel Cinematic Universe plans to introduce Doctor Doom in The Avengers: Doomsday.

The Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on May 1st, 2026.

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2024-08-22 17:04