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Marvel’s announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will be playing the role of Doctor Doom has come with a lot of backlash. While a majority of the fans are glad that he has made his way back into the franchise, fans cannot help but be upset about the role he has come back in. The news has caused outrage among fans for one very big reason; Doom’s character has been let down by the studio time and time again.
With the past live-action attempts being abysmal at best, fans are not happy to see yet another actor in the role who simply does not fit their image. Recently, fans have begun to discuss the history the franchise has with the character, and it does not look good.
Marvel and the Betrayal of Doctor Doom
Marvel Studios has not had the best track record when it comes to Doctor Doom. After the first two portrayals of the character, fans saw one of the most menacing and powerful characters in the entirety of the comics be watered down into bite-sized pieces for audiences to swallow.
Although Julian McMahon’s Doom in Chris Evans’Fantastic Fourfilms had some redeeming qualities, his performance alone was not able to save his character in front of the way the character was being written. Toby Kebbell’s portrayal of the character in 2015’sFantastic Fourwas wrong in every way possible, with the actor, himself, agreeing to the sentiment during an interview withForbes.
When fans heard of the possibility of Doom coming back, this time in the main MCU and with a much bigger role, they thought that the franchise would finally do him justice. Putting forth big-name actors like Cillian Murphy, Mads Mikkelsen, and even Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
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However, no one saw it coming when the franchise announced thatRobert Downey Jr.would be assuming the role. Where the announcement was supposed to make fans happy, all it did was add fuel to the fire.
Robert Downey Jr.—The Hero of the MCU and Doctor Doom’s Worst Nightmare
Recently,fans discussedthe casting of Doctor Doom alongside Reed Richards in the MCU over the years. Specifically talking aboutRobert Downey Jr.being cast alongside Pedro Pascal’s Doctor Doom, they were not happy with the decision. It has been evidently clear that in the last 20 years, Marvel has not done a very good job at executing Doom’s character.
However, seeing the same happen, all over again, has become the last straw for many. The character of Victor Von Doom is legendary in many ways. From being a mere human who makes the Fantastic Four’s lives a living hell, to a cosmic-level threat to the multiverse, he is one of the most powerful and smart characters in the comics.
I can’t believe they fumbled Doom THREE TIMEShttps://t.co/JZ5jq3hakp
— Logan (new short film in pinned!) (@DiamondSpiderP)August 25, 2025
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He possesses unlimited resources, which are then mixed with his endless power, getting him on the radar of every superhero in the comics. Despite how much he has to offer the MCU as a threat, he is being treated like a band-aid to Marvel’s declining ratings, which has come with the medicine of Downey Jr.
Watching the franchise nerf the legend yet another time is frustrating to many degrees, and what fans have to say about it only proves this sentiment more. While audiences do not question Downey Jr.’s capabilities as an actor, they cannot help but wonder if he is the right person for the role.
Ananya Godboley
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2219
Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.
