Those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that the universe is always expanding, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. A bunch of exciting news about upcoming Marvel movies came out of San Diego Comic-Con, including that Robert Downey Jr. will back, but playing the villainous Doctor Doom. And a bunch of his co-stars have responded, including an an on-brand Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo, more.
Fans have been sounding off online about RDJ's return to the MCU, but it's also interesting to see how his Marvel collaborators responded to this wild news. Luckily we were able to see this online, after the Oscar-winning actor posted on Instagram about his Doctor Doom role. As a reminder, you can see said post below:
I mean, how cool is that? Downey shared this post to his whopping 57 million followers on Instagram, which includes some of his famous pals. And many of their reactions in the comments section are super on brand.
A few years ago Gwyneth Paltrow went viral for not knowing she had a role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. But she's admitted she doesn't keep up with the MCU's happenings, and is mostly down to just pop up opposite Robert Downey Jr.. And as such, she commented on his IG video about Doctor Doom, which reads:
I don’t get it, are you a baddie now?
In her defense, this is is pretty confusing. Fans were shocked when it was revealed that Robert Downey Jr. would be a different role in his return to the MCU, playing Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom. And since Paltrow isn't a superfan of the shared universe herself, she was appropriately gobsmacked at the casting after Iron Man's death during Endgame's final battle.
That movie was directed by The Russo Brothers, who are officially back for the next two Avengers movies. The pair of directors comments on RDJ's post, which reads:
We’ve always said green is your color…
But they aren't the only Avengers collaborators who weighed in on Downey's wild return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mark Ruffalo also got into the fun of the comments section, posting:
Hey Brat, green suits you
How very hip of the 13 Going on 30 actor. We're all currently in the "Brat Summer", which is named after Charlie XCX's hit new album. The green color of the album cover has also gone viral as a result, which is where Mark Ruffalo is making his connection to Doctor Doom. We'll just have to wit and see if he gets to reunite on screen with RDJ, this time as his foe rather than a member of The Avengers.
In another post about Downey's new role, both Frank Grillo and Zoe Saldaña also expressed excitement, albeit through the use of emojis. So clearly the fans are just as hyped as the heroes about this turn of events.
Alas, fans will likely have to wait a while before we get any more information about Robert Downey Jr.'s exciting return to the shared universe. Avengers: Doomsday is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 1st, 2026. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
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