David Bridges
Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—not as Iron Man/Tony Stark (RIP), however as Physician Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday—was one of many largest bombshells to emerge from San Diego Comedian-Con. And whereas cash was actually an element within the reunion between studio and star, Downey lately defined there have been different key causes too: his deep ties with the bosses at Marvel and Disney, and his appreciation for Disney’s developments in filmmaking know-how.
“[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 form 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 concept exterior of the [Marvel] Cinematic Universe for a way I may very well 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 companion 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 inventive 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 stated to Kevin, ‘Can I’m going speak to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About [what]?’ I’m going, ‘About all the pieces.’ And I [went] to Bob’s home, which—I don’t know learn how to describe that have. I’ve had quite a lot 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 stated. Then, Iger invited Feige and Downey to go to Disney’s Imagineering Campus, Disney’s analysis and improvement hub.
“[We] go to the imagineering campus, and also you wish to speak about two guys that they’re not straightforward 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 doable,” he teased. “It’s additionally the one means 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 means 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 Might 1, 2026.
Take heed to the Hollywood Reporter’s full Downey interview, through which he additionally shares reminiscences of being forged as Iron Man almost 20 years in the past, proper right here.
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Daniel Mercer
Ethan Carter
