For those who have never experienced it, Marvel's Hall H panel is the premiere event of San Diego Comic-Con. In addition to showing footage to fans that won't see anywhere else, the studio brings out its biggest stars and spares no expense to ensure the attendees leave entertained. Surprises are, of course, part of the show, and the Disney-owned property delivered one of its biggest in years by announcing Robert Downey Jr.'s big return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As someone who was in Hall H when it was announced, I can confirm that the audience's response was deafeningly loud. Hell, I was hyped too, because who expected that to happen? However, I filed out of the hall and made my way back to CinemaBlend's studio at the Hilton Bayfront, I began to sour on the idea. Now I have some major concerns about his inclusion in upcoming Marvel movies I need to write about.
Hall H Was Flipping Out, But I Was Just Confused
It's worth mentioning that Marvel expertly set up the crowd to collectively lose its minds ahead of this big announcement. While it was more or less a poorly kept secret, the studio was in contact with the Russo brothers to direct the next two Avengers movies, and having the actual confirmation was enough to elicit cheers.
The Russos then upped the ante by stating a clear intention to pivot away from Kang The Conqueror and instead helm a soft reboot adaptation of the popular story Secret Wars. By the time they announced all that, adding they'd be bringing the much-requested Dr. Doom to the MCU had Hall H in a fever pitch, and it was even more thrilling they brought in the actor to play him. Once the mask came off and RDJ was standing on stage, of course people were going to lose their minds! Who expected this to happen? Once again, I'll admit I was surprised, but as I said, I only became more concerned and confused the longer I sat with it.
Bringing Back RDJ Feels Like Marvel Lacks Confidence In Its Current Stars
The writers defended Tony Stark's death as being necessary to legitimize Avengers: Endgame's story, and Robert Downey Jr. and other OG Avengers being written off made it feel like the torch was being passed to a new generation of heroes. Unfortunately, we aren't that far into seeing those new stars take the reigns in the MCU, and it feels like the studio immediately decided it was time to bring back a proven talent to prop up the franchise.
I didn't think we needed someone like Robert Downey Jr. to swoop in and get people excited about Marvel movies again, but I'm not part of their marketing and research. I would assume, instead, that building another strong core of Avengers would do the trick, and they already have some heavy hitters that are in the mix.
Robert Downey Jr. Feels A Little Old To Play Doctor Doom
As his big Oscar win for Oppenheimer showed, Robert Downey Jr. has some acting range. I have full confidence that he can deliver a big performance that people will love, but is he what we're looking for when it comes to Doctor Doom? It's certainly not someone I would've pegged for the role, even with the knowledge that there is a variant of Doom that was also Tony Stark.
Not to be ageist, but RDJ is a full decade older than Pedro Pascal, whose Reed Richards is Doctor Doom's primary rival. We all know the MCU is not beholden to Marvel canon, but weren't these guys supposed to have been in college around the same time? If I look at those two men, I don't think they're the same age, and that's going to mess with me If Marvel decides to go that route in describing their relationship.
There's So Many Actors Out There That Could've Been Tapped
There's been so many actors that fans have speculated could play Dr. Doom over the years, and many of them were excellent choices. I liked the idea of Bryan Cranston playing the ruler of Latveria, but there are so many Hollywood actors who still have yet to join the MCU who would also be great.
Instead of seeing someone else, we're getting Robert Downey Jr. playing someone other than the character he made iconic. Hell, we could've gotten that performance with any other actor. I'm hoping RDJ is at least planning on bringing his A-game to the role, and there's a plan in place. Otherwise, it just feels like stunt casting to draw audiences back to theaters who might've dipped out following the end of Avengers: Endgame.
This Feels Like Marvel Hitting The Panic Button
Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU, paired with the Russos returning to direct, can't help but make me feel like Marvel is hitting the panic button. We've known for a while the studio would shift away from Kang after firing Jonathan Majors amidst his legal issues, but completely abandoning the character and shifting gears to Doom feels like a complete abandonment of all that's been built toward in this new era.
Bringing back RDJ to play Doctor Doom in the MCU feels like a band-aid that ultimately is going to lose its adhesiveness and fall off. It's not like he can just remain in the MCU indefinitely, and even if he did, the novelty of having him back will wear off. Marvel Studios needs to take a good look at the road map ahead and make sure that's squared away. We could've done without another two Avengers movies for a while, though. I'm sure the studio would've had something to stay if they skipped out on it.
Time will tell if the gambit to bring back Robert Downey Jr. will pay off. Until then, we'll just have to wait on more details on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as they come and keep those fingers crossed that Marvel has found a way to get their humongous shared universe back on track.
