With Robert Downey Jr. returning to theMarvel Cinematic Universein 2026 forAvengers: Doomsday, one of his Marvel co-stars revealed their initial reaction to his Phase 6 casting. In theupcomingAvengers: Doomsday, the formerIron Manactor takes on a new role in the franchise, playing the Marvel Comics villain Doctor Doom. Ever since Downey Jr.‘sAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsrole was announced last summer, various MCU actors have shared how they learned about his return.
During an interview withVariety, Benedict Cumberbatch opened up about what he felt when he learned that Downey Jr. would be coming back to the MCU, but as Doctor Doom, the villain of the nextAvengersmovie. After hearing the initial announcement that was made in Hall H during San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Cumberbatch revealed his passionate reaction to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige:
I texted, ‘What the f-ck?’ and then quickly added, ‘Good what-the-f-ck. I mean, good what-the-f-ck.’
What Benedict Cumberbatch’s RDJ Return Comments Mean
When the MCU began in 2008 with the firstIron Manmovie,Downey Jr. became one of, if not the central figure of the entire franchise, as his solo film kicked off a whole universe for Marvel. To this day, Downey Jr. is still one of the most beloved aspects of the MCU, whether it is within the fandom or the people who he has worked with throughout the ever-growing universe. For anyone to learn thatDowney Jr. would play Doctor Doomafter his Iron Man sendoff inAvengers: Endgame, it was bound to have a big reaction, including from someone like Cumberbatch.
The thing that continues to be highlighted withDowney Jr.’s MCU returnis how barely anyone outside Feige and Marvel Studios executives knew, leaving most of the actors in the franchise to be surprised alongside the fans. With Doctor Doom set to be the central antagonist of the upcomingAvengersmovies, it’s going to be one of the most compelling concepts for the MCU to tackle. Even though he goes by Victor von Doom in his world, people on Earth-616 are still going to see someone who looks exactly like Tony Stark - but is a twisted version of the fallen Avenger.
Our Take On Benedict Cumberbatch’s RDJ Return Comments
With Cumberbatch’s excitement about Downey Jr.’s upcoming return inAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, it will be fun to see how Doctor Strange reacts to Doctor Doom, who happens to look like Iron Man. Even thoughCumberbatch’s Doctor Strange won’t be inAvengers: Doomsday, he will thankfully get his time to shine inAvengers: Secret Wars. Hopefully, more details about Downey Jr’s approach to Doctor Doom inAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warswill be revealed throughout the year once the movies start filming.
Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
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.
