Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—not as Iron Man/Tony Stark (RIP), however as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday—was one of many largest bombshells to emerge from San Diego Comedian-Con. And whereas money was certainly a factor within the reunion between studio and star, Downey not too long ago defined there have been different key causes too: his deep ties with the bosses at Marvel and Disney, and his appreciation for Disney’s advancements in filmmaking technology.
“[Kevin Feige] and I’ve stored in contact. We’re buddies. [Jon] Favreau and Feige and I’ve stored in contact. I’m shut with the Russo Brothers; we’ve different enterprise we’re doing. So there’s this little sort of group of fellow vacationers,” Downey defined on the Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. “And I had this intuition that I needed to go to Bob Iger, and I had an thought exterior of the [Marvel] Cinematic Universe for a way I might be of service to what’s happening within the parks and all their location-based leisure.”
However earlier than that assembly, Downey recalled, he and his spouse and producing associate Susan Downey have been chatting with Feige, and the Marvel boss introduced up the thought of Downey returning to the MCU. “Susan was like, ‘Wait, come again as what?’ And I used to be like [speechless confusion]? After which we each realized over time that it was one other factor that simply disproves any doubt anybody might ever have about that man—a really subtle artistic thinker—about how can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we proceed to beat expectations? And he introduced up Victor Von Doom.”
Intrigued, Downey took a have a look at Victor Von Doom as a personality. “I used to be like, ‘wow.’” he recalled. “In a while, [Feige] goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom proper. Let’s get that proper.’ So then I mentioned to Kevin, ‘Can I am going speak to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About [what]?’ I am going, ‘About all the things.’ And I [went] to Bob’s home, which—I don’t know tips on how to describe that have. I’ve had a number of actually cool experiences. We go to Iger’s pad and we sit down and begin saying, ‘I simply actually wish to be…’ He goes, ‘I prefer it.’ He likes it,” Downey mentioned. Then, Iger invited Feige and Downey to go to Disney’s Imagineering Campus, Disney’s research and development hub.
“[We] go to the imagineering campus, and also you wish to discuss two guys that they’re not simple to have their minds blown, not to mention on the identical time—I can’t say an excessive amount of about [it], however what’s going on there proper now could be so past my expectation of what was attainable,” he teased. “It’s additionally the one manner that I felt like I may give a sure entertainment-seeking viewers one thing that they might have a hankering to have an expertise of, in a manner the place I can proceed to develop my curiosity in the way forward for leisure … so it’s this loopy, bizarre factor that’s happening.”
Mysterious—but additionally intriguing! Maybe we’ll notice what he’s hinting at right here when the Russo Brothers-directed Avengers: Doomsday arrives Could 1, 2026.
Hearken to the Hollywood Reporter’s full Downey interview, by which he additionally shares recollections of being solid as Iron Man almost 20 years in the past, proper here.
Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to anticipate the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the things you must learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.
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