Robert Downey Jr. Officially Addresses the Pressure of His MCU Return, And His Take On Doctor Doom

It began – like so many things from Marvel Studios do – on the Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con. Kevin Feige paced the stage like a carnival barker, juicing the crowd as he shuffled through the all-star casts of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, who were about to board a plane to London to begin shooting their MCU debut.

Feige wasn’t rushing. But he had a destination in his sights. A two-headed surprise he was about to unleash on the SDCC 2024 audience, which he knew would generate the kind of publicity tsunami Marvel loved to create at the annual convention.

“You want to hear about the two Avengers films,” Feige asked the crowd before introducing surprise number one: Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo planned to return to the Marvel universe to helm the fifth and sixth Avengers films in the MCU. They teased their plans to finally adapt the Secret Wars comics series into a feature film. And they stressed the importance of having a lead-in film that would prepare audiences for the epic story contained in Secret Wars.

CBR Exclusive · Quiz
WHICH MARVEL CHARACTER ARE YOU?
Your Powers Are About to Be Revealed
The Marvel Universe is full of extraordinary people — genius billionaires, super-soldiers, sorcerers, and gods. Twenty questions stand between you and the truth. Answer honestly. Your true self will assemble.

⚡Iron Man

🛡️Captain America

🗡️Black Widow

☘️Thor

🕷️Spider-Man

FIND OUT WHICH HERO YOU ARE →

You’re outnumbered and outgunned. What do you do?
A hero’s instinct is defined in their darkest moment.

AImprovise a solution on the spot — I always find a way.
BStand my ground. Someone has to hold the line.
CAssess the threat, identify the weakness, strike precisely.
DCall down the storm. Power solves most problems.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

Your team disagrees with your plan. How do you handle it?
Every Avenger has their own idea of teamwork.

AListen, adapt — the best plan wins, whoever thought of it.
BMy plan is right. I’ll convince them or go alone.
CBuild consensus. Unity is our greatest strength.
DObserve the disagreement — the truth usually becomes obvious.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

What does your hero identity mean to you?
The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.

AIt’s my brand. My name is the message.
BIt’s a symbol — bigger than any one person.
CIt keeps the people I love safe. Anonymity is armor.
DI am who I am, wherever I go. No disguise needed.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

How do you typically make big decisions?
A hero’s process shapes their outcome.

ARun the data, model the outcomes, pick the optimal path.
BAsk: what’s the right thing to do? Then do it.
CGather intel, weigh every variable, then commit.
DTrust my gut — experience and power get me through.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

Someone takes credit for your work in front of everyone. You:
Pride is the armor and the weakness of every hero.

ACorrect the record immediately — with receipts.
BLet it go. The mission matters, not the glory.
CFile it away and address it privately, strategically.
DLaugh it off. My reputation speaks for itself.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

A government agency wants to oversee your activities. Your response?
Accountability is the line every hero must face.

ASign nothing. I answer to my own moral code.
BOversight makes sense — even heroes need checks.
CCooperate on my terms. I choose what I share.
DI operate above earthly jurisdictions.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

When facing a villain, your strategy is:
Every fighter has a philosophy.

AOverwhelm them with superior tech and tactics.
BShield up, take the hits, look for the opening.
CGet inside their head — information wins fights before they start.
DHit first, hit hard — lightning ends it fast.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

Your biggest personal flaw is:
Every hero has a crack in the armor.

AMy ego — I sometimes think I’m the smartest person in the room. (I usually am.)
BStubbornness — when I believe in something, I don’t bend.
CI keep people at arm’s length. Trust is a liability.
DArrogance — I had to learn humility the hard way.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

A rookie hero is overwhelmed on their first mission. You:
How a hero mentors others reveals their character.

AJump in and handle it — debrief and mentor them after.
BTalk them through it step by step. They need to learn.
CCover their back silently — let them think they did it alone.
DInspire them with a rallying call. Belief is half the battle.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

What drives you more than anything else?
The “why” behind the hero is everything.

ALegacy — I want to prove I’m more than my past.
BDuty — protecting people is a responsibility, not a choice.
CSurvival — I protect myself and those close to me.
DHonor — I must be worthy of the power I carry.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

You’ve just suffered a crushing defeat. What’s next?
A hero is measured by how they get back up.

ARebuild and upgrade — I come back with a better suit.
BI could do this all day. Get back up and go again.
CRetreat, reassess — then return when the odds are mine.
DChannel the loss into fury. Wrath has its uses.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

You could end a threat permanently — but it crosses an ethical line. You:
The hardest choices define a hero from a weapon.

AFind a smarter solution that doesn’t require crossing that line.
BRefuse. There are lines I will never cross. Period.
CWeigh the numbers coldly. Sometimes the math is ugly.
DEscalate the power. No threat survives overwhelming force.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

What do you actually fear most?
Even the mightiest hero has something to lose.

AFailure — being the person who could have stopped it and didn’t.
BA world that loses its belief in what’s right.
CBeing truly known — and rejected for it.
DBecoming a monster. Losing control of my own power.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

People who just met you would describe you as:
First impressions carry a grain of truth.

ABrilliant, confident, maybe a little much — but magnetic.
BSolid, trustworthy — the kind of person you rally behind.
CReserved, sharp-eyed — clearly assessing everything.
DCommanding — the presence in the room everyone notices.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

What’s your ideal base of operations?
Where a hero operates reveals how they think.

AA state-of-the-art tower with every tool at my fingertips.
BWherever the mission takes me — I travel light.
CAn off-grid safe house. Low profile is the advantage.
DAn ancient palace above the clouds. I prefer altitude.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

What does “being a hero” actually mean to you?
The philosophy behind the power is the real definition.

AUsing your advantages to solve problems others can’t.
BDoing what’s right even when it costs you everything.
CProtecting people who can’t protect themselves — quietly.
DEarning the right to carry great power through sacrifice.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

What do you want to leave behind?
The mark a hero leaves is their truest measure.

ATechnology that protects humanity long after I’m gone.
BProof that one person’s character can change the world.
CA world where the next generation doesn’t need me.
DA realm that stands in peace, protected and free.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

Someone you love is in danger. Your first move is:
Crisis strips away everything but the truth.

ADeploy every asset immediately — no hesitation.
BPut myself between them and the threat. That’s the job.
CExtract them quietly. They never need to know I was there.
DSummon every ounce of power I have. Nothing is off the table.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

Your power — where does it come from?
Origin shapes destiny in the Marvel Universe.

AI built it. Every advantage I have, I engineered myself.
BIt was given to me. I chose to be worthy of it.
CIt’s earned through training, sacrifice, and sheer will.
DIt’s ancient — cosmic and beyond mortal understanding.

TRANSMIT ANSWER →

The final battle. Everything is on the line. You:
This is the moment that defines everything.

AMake the one genius move no one saw coming — even if it costs me.
BNever surrender. I fight until there’s nothing left in me.
CStrike from the shadows at the exact right moment.
DBring the full force of my power down. No holding back.

REVEAL MY HERO →

THE MARVEL UNIVERSE HAS SPOKEN
YOUR HERO IDENTITY

Your scores are shown below. The character with the highest number is your match. Read their description to discover which hero the universe chose for you.

⚡
Iron Man

🛡️
Cap. America

🗡️
Black Widow

☘️
Thor

🕷️
Spider-Man

Brilliant, driven, and uncompromising in your ambition. You believe that the right technology — in the right hands — can solve any problem, and you’re confident enough in your own abilities to back that up. Beneath the armor and the bravado, you carry the weight of responsibility deeply. When it truly matters, you’re willing to sacrifice everything.

Principled, courageous, and steadfast. You have an unshakeable sense of right and wrong, and no amount of pressure, politics, or power can make you compromise it. People trust you instinctively — not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it. You lead not by authority but by example, and you will always get back up.

Strategic, precise, and formidably self-reliant. You don’t need a suit or a superpower — your greatest weapon is your mind and your nerve. You keep your cards close, trust slowly, and operate three steps ahead of everyone else. Your past is complicated, but you’ve turned it into something that makes you nearly impossible to stop.

Powerful, honorable, and ultimately humbled by what truly matters. You came into your power believing it was your birthright — and then you learned it had to be earned. Your strength is immense, but your greatest growth came from learning to serve rather than reign. Loyal to your people, terrifying to your enemies, and always magnificent.

Quick-witted, deeply compassionate, and driven by a responsibility you didn’t ask for. You’ve learned the hard way that great power comes with great cost — and you show up anyway. You stay grounded when others would ascend, and your humanity is your greatest strength. You make it look effortless. It never is.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

Then the brothers dropped the second bombshell: They were bringing Robert Downey Jr. back to the MCU. This time, however, he’d assume the new (and complex) role of Doctor Doom.

Fans had so many questions. To be fair, fans still have so many questions, though some answers have surfaced since the Avengers: Doomsday announcement in 2024. Doom appeared briefly in the closing moments of Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four, connecting his introduction to the alternate MCU universe of Earth-828. Chris Evans confirmed he also would return to the MCU as Steve Rogers. And the 20th Century Fox X-Men heroes have been front and center in the minimal promotional footage that Marvel and Disney have released.

In the lead up to the December release of Avengers: Doomsday, CBR has been lucky enough to walk with Joe and Anthony Russo through their MCU accomplishments, reminding fans of the spectacle, and the emotional payoff, that comes with their Marvel blockbusters. We started with Captain America: Civil War:

And we recently continued our ongoing conversation with a lengthy conversation between Joe Russo and Robert Downey Jr., diving into all things Avengers: Infinity War. In the process, the duo revealed a few major things about the movie that reunites them in the MCU.

RDJ Doctor Doom car photo

‘You’re Only As Good As Your Bad Guy’

It was during our conversation about Captain America: Civil War that I called out to the Russo Brothers how the chemistry shared between Downey and Evans gets overlooked. When Marvel fans single out Civil War, they discuss the introductions of Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), or the eye-popping spectacle of the German airport battle.

But the movie doesn’t work if Downey and Evans can’t sell their sides of the volatile argument that’s tearing the Avengers apart.

CBR recently traveled to London to speak with Robert Downey Jr. and Joe Russo about Avengers: Infinity War and their MCU journey.

Addressing the conflict at the heart of Civil War, Downey told CBR:

I’m so glad you brought this up, because what these films always sought to do is divide, create a dialogue, and contain one’s capacity to do that in a place that – because it’s not real world – you actually get to practice being open to differences in opinion.

The MCU icon continued to connect the dots between the work he’d done with the Russo Brothers and their current film, Avengers: Doomsday, when he elaborated:

I think Doomsday, more than any (film) so far… just because I’ve now realized our tendency to be telling the story of the world while hiding behind the fact that, ‘No, we’re just telling superhero movies that you can enjoy!’ But you’re only as good as your bad guy, tying Doomsday to Infinity War specifically. And again, the one thing everybody could rally around (in Infinity War) is, ‘You’re going to have to contend with Brolin.’

There’s no arguing that Avengers: Infinity War is Thanos’ movie. The entire mission that’s central to the blockbuster – the retrieval of all six Infinity Stones – is driven by Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his Black Order. And the Avengers play catch up the entire movie, running nearly two steps behind the Mad Titan until they very end… when they ultimately lose.

If only Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) kept his cool while Tony and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) wrestled the Gauntlet off Thanos’ hand. If only Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) had successfully obliterated her true love, Vision (Paul Bettany).

If only Thor (Chris Hemsworth) had gone for the head.

As our Infinity War conversation continued, I asked Downey if he learned anything specific about the importance of a villain that he’s taking with him to Avengers: Doomsday, and his portrayal of Victor Von Doom. He replied, “I’m quite odd in that I try to stay as removed from a subjective experience of things as I can. So I try to think like the brothers. I try to feel like I’m in the writing room. I try to feel all that stuff. But eventually, there are so many big shoes to step into that I just have to go, ‘What hasn’t been done as well as it can be done yet?’ We’re always looking for that opportunity.

And a lot of it has been… there’s some experimentation. We’ve had our moments of, ‘Let’s shift here.’ But we landed in a place that I think will more than suffice. And it’s not even about how I executed it. It’s about the way it’s been structured, and the other characters. There’s something going on in Doomsday and forward that is literally the only antidote to, ‘How do you not have these films be let down after an Infinity War and an Endgame?’ And boy, have we labored long and hard to bring that down.”

Downey’s Doomsday director Joe Russo chimed in, confirming that the one-two punch of Doomsday and Secret Wars have “obviously been harder than the other ones, for that reason. The stakes keep going up. But, emotional complexity is always the answer. You bring emotional complexity to anything, and it enriches it. It makes it a fuller experience for the audience. It surprises you.

There are a lot of surprises in this,” Russo continued. “And I think (Doomsday is) the most emotionally complex of all of them. And in a lot of ways, the most mature of all of them.”

Screenshot 2026-06-11 at 3.49.25 PM
RDJ and Joe Russo talking Infinity WarCredit: David Jon Photography

‘One Epic At A Time’

The focus of the interview with Downey and Russo is supposed to be about Avengers: Infinity War – a herculean effort that, I’d argue, should not be able to exist, given the sheer amount of logistical maneuvering that needs to occur both on screen and off to make a movie of this size happen. Russo brings up a conversation he had with Steven Soderbergh at a recent dinner party, where the renowned director of The Limey, Traffic, Out of Sight, multiple Ocean’s films and more asked what it’s really like to helm a massive Marvel movie.

“I sat for a minute,” Russo remembered. “I was trying to think of the snarky, funny response, because he’s got a great sense of humor. And I just said, ‘They’re really fucking hard.’”

But you can’t dig deeply into one of these MCU movies with Downey and not stretch as far back as Iron Man, or dare to look ahead to his anticipated return.

“There’s an incredible amount of gratitude we have going into these two,” Downey reflects when bringing up this year’s Avengers: Doomsday and next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars. “One epic at a time. Doomsday… just the gratitude to be able to do it. To still be engaging with people who are critical when we fall short, but who understand how difficult it is when we get it right.”

“And be there to celebrate with us,” Russo continues. “It’s part of the fun of making these movies. You asked me, ‘What’s the best thing (about) making these films?’ Sitting in a movie theater on opening night and watching the fans go absolutely crazy. You’re trying to deliver an experience to people in a complicated world where they’re going to just have an experience together as a community. They’re going to talk about it. They’re going to want to watch it again. They’re going to want to talk about it with their friends, with their family, with their kids, their grandkids. Something that has a legacy emotional impact on them.”

The Russo Brothers confirmed during a separate interview in London that was part of the SXSW London experience that their MCU journey will conclude (again) with 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. They have a story they want to tell across these two movies, and they see closure happening once Secret Wars ends. Marvel Studios will go on, as projects with the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and more have been discussed. But the Russos seem ready to pass the baton one more time.

Just, not yet.

“We’ve been very fortunate enough as collaborators, Robert and I, to be able to do this over and over again,” Russo told CBR. “And, knock on wood, we can do it two more times.”

Downey can hardly contain his excitement for what this creative duo is about to unleash as he concludes:

“I just want to say too, and part of that also is, the whole landscape has changed. And I think the way we even talk about the legacy of these films. Our ambition moving forward is to really zero in on the people that we want to connect with, and then let it come out from there. Disney is the best at the symphonic effect of bringing attention to something. But I think we’ve got to go right back to the beginning. It’s almost back to Iron Man. ‘In case you haven’t heard about us, we want you to get excited!’”

Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18, 2026.