After playing Doctor Doom in 2005’s Fantastic Four, Julian McMahon opens up about Robert Downey Jr. playing Victor von Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While 2025 will introduce the Fantastic Four characters into the MCU, Marvel Studios is also getting ready to bring in another key player from their mythology as the biggest threat to the entire franchise: Doctor Doom. Phase 6 was revealed to include a mᴀssive twist with Marvel’s new Doctor Doom, as Downey Jr. will be portraying the iconic Marvel baddie.
In an interview with ScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns at this year’s SXSW, while promoting his new film The Surfer, McMahon was asked if he had any thoughts about Downey Jr. becoming the next actor to portray Doctor Doom in live-action, with the MCU veteran set to return in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. McMahon had nothing but praise for Downey Jr., as he shared the following about the Iron Man star becoming the MCU’s Doctor Doom:
It’s Robert, you know what I mean? What are you going to say? His body of work speaks for itself. He’s a super talented guy. I love watching his work. When we did the movies years ago, we were at the [precipice] of all that stuff happening. So, we were finding our way a lot, and we were trying to figure out what space the movie itself lived in. Was it a kid’s movie? Was it a family movie? Was it more comedy-driven, or was it more trauma-driven? We were trying to find all that stuff as we were shooting.
I think now that there’s so many different realms of establishment of the way that you look at those pieces, you can pretty much do so many different things now. If you’ve got Robert Downey Jr, who’s one of the great creatives of the last however many years we’ve been watching him for, mixed with the elements of how we can make movies these days? I think it’s going to be pretty extraordinary.
What Julian McMahon’s Doctor Doom RDJ Comments Mean
While the original Fantastic Four movies, when McMahon was playing Doctor Doom in the early 2000s, had a mixed reception, it was a time before studios were truly willing to commit to the comic book film genre. McMahon’s Doctor Doom may not have been fully comic accurate, but it was closer to the comic book counterpart than what fans got in 2015’s Fantastic Four film. However, it’s clear that McMahon still has an appreciation for that role, while also being excited to see a new version come to life through Downey Jr.
McMahon made his MCU debut in Marvel’s Runaways on Hulu in 2017, though the show’s current canon status remains unclear.
Even though there have been mixed responses to Downey Jr. being cast as the MCU Doctor’s Doom, McMahon brings up some valid points about the Oscar-winning actor’s talents and what can be done with a character like Doom in today’s filmmaking. While the MCU may be taking a different route with Doctor Doom than what fans were expecting, it’s still a major deal that Downey Jr. will be the one who gets to bring him to life in this franchise. Only time will tell what the MCU’s execution of Doctor Doom will look like, as Marvel Studios is keeping details about Downey Jr.’s interpretation of the character under wraps.
Our Take On Julian McMahon’s Doctor Doom RDJ Comments
After hearing McMahon’s support for Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, it would be fascinating to see what it would look like if their characters were able to share the screen together. Since the MCU is heading into The Multiverse Saga finale, this is the best possible time for Marvel Studios to stage this type of storyline. But for now, the world can look forward to catching Downey Jr. returning to the MCU in 2026 as his new iteration of Doctor Doom.
The Surfer opens in theaters on May 2.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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