As Robert Downey Jr. gets ready to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers. Doomsday, one of the previous Marvel Studios directors, reacts to his casting.as Doctor Doom. One of the biggest surprises that is coming up for the MCU timeline is the return of the beloved Avenger actor, following the mᴀssive San Diego Comic-Con 2024 announcement.

With The Multiverse Saga set to end in 2027 through Phase 6, Victor von Doom is finally making his debut in the franchise, but with a mᴀssive twist. After playing Iron Man, Downey will be the one to bring the famous villain to life in Phase 6.

In a new interview with ComicBook, Iron Man 3 director Shane Black responded to seeing the former Tony Stark actor making his return to the franchise, but now as the central antagonist of Marvel Studios’ current storytelling. After working with the star in the 2013 installment, which grossed $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office, the filmmaker shared the following about the surprising casting:

Shane Black: I think he’s going to singlehandedly reinvigorate the entire comic book movie industry with that. I mean, it seemed like at first a cynical idea, you know, ‘Oh, let’s just go back to the well of the one guy that seems to always save us.’ But it’s going to work. It’s really going to work. And he’s brought to it… I’m not at liberty to say anything, not that I know. I’m thrilled because I’m first in line to see that. I haven’t seen all the Marvel movies. I’ll see that one first.

The Academy Award-winning actor has recently finished filming with the Avengers: Doomsday cast, but the 2026 film isn’t the only MCU project he will appear in. Doctor Doom is also set to return for Avengers: Secret Wars, which will start filming at a later time, most likely in 2026.

What Shane Black’s Doctor Doom Comments Mean

Given how The Multiverse Saga had to adapt after the firing of Jonathan Majors as Kang, the audience was definitely not expecting to see Victor replace him, especially with the former Avengers star being the one to portray him. With the beloved actor also being a mᴀssive favorite, it is adding more momentum for Phase 6.

Whether or not his villainous casting will reinvigorate the comic book movie genre remains to be seen, as it will all depend on how the two team-up movies use him and what the actor brings to the table. At the very least, this take on the famous Marvel foe will emerge as the strongest one in live-action.

Our Take On Shane Black’s Doctor Doom Comments

While it’s encouraging to hear how much confidence Black has in the actor, there are likely many who will disagree, as there were mixed reactions to the big Hall H announcement. Many had always imagined a new actor altogether to be cast as the iconic supervillain.

But regardless, his Doctor Doom casting is still a mᴀssive deal no matter what, as this was definitely not how the audience expected him to come back to the MCU. However, the world will be able to judge for themselves when Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters in December 2026.