About a year ago, Robert Downey Jr. and his wife and production partner Susan Downey met with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige for a discussion.
It was not unusual for Downey and Feige to talk to each other. After all, the two stayed in touch after Downey left the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after Avengers: EndgameBut the conversation soon took a shocking left turn when Feige suggested Downey could return to the MCU even though his character Tony Stark was dead.
“He said, ‘I keep thinking, if you came back…'” Downey said in the last episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘S Awards Chatter Podcast. “Susan said, ‘Wait, wait. Come back as what?'”
Downey and Feige then talked about problems that would need to be resolved if the actor were to return.
“How do we not go backwards? How do we not disappoint expectations? How do we continue to exceed expectations?” Downey recalled. The actor added: “And he mentioned Victor Von Doom. I was looking into that character. Later he said, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.'”
Downey was scheduled to meet with Disney CEO Bob Iger to discuss his involvement with the company’s parks and location-based entertainment, and he soon found himself at the mogul’s home.
Iger seemed to already know about the Doctor Doom idea and quickly told Downey, “I like that,” before arranging for the actor and Feige to visit Disney’s Imagineering Campus to see what was in the works there.
“You want to talk about two guys who aren’t easily rattled, especially not at the same time,” Downey said. “What’s happening there is beyond my expectations of what was possible.”
In the years since his departure from the MCU, Downey has remained close to avenger Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and Iron-Man Director Jon Favreau. At the San Diego Comic-Con in July, Feige confirmed that the Russo brothers would return to direct two films. Avengers: Endgame for 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars for 2027.
A group of men dressed as Doom stormed the stage and one stepped forward. He took off his mask and it was Downey. It was one of the biggest reveals in Comic-Con history.
“New mask. Same job,” Downey told the crowd. “Boy, I tell you, I like playing complicated characters.”
Downey, who is in the running for Emmys for his five roles in the HBO/Park Chan-wook miniseries The sympathizertold much more in a career-spanning interview with Awards Chatter Moderator Scott Feinberg, see below:
