When Marvel announced the return of Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo brothers to the MCU, some of the faithful Avengers’ fans were probably not surprised. Rumors already said RDJ and the Russos would eventually return for the final two “Avengers” projects in the “Multiverse Saga.” The only surprise was the role change for the beloved MCU actor. Instead of playing Iron Man, RDJ would play Doctor Doom, a famous villain the MCU had never seen. Iron Man died at the end of “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, more than a decade after the first “Iron Man” success that kickstarted the MCU. Despite the seemingly permanent death, MCU fans expected Marvel to find a way to resurrect Tony Stark and bring him back to the fold, especially considering that Marvel introduced the multiverse in the MCU story, a trick that allows the studio to do whatever it wants. Marvel fans also expected RDJ’s return to be a closely guarded secret. After all, the actor denied more than once that he would reprise his iconic Iron Man role.
As for the Russo brothers, their return seemed logical given their previously confirmed interest in the “Avengers: Secret Wars” storyline. An unexpected off-screen event, coupled with the worse-than-expected MCU box-office performance in recent years, forced Marvel to rethink the end of the “Multiverse Saga.” Initially, Kang (Jonathan Majors) was supposed to be the main villain of the upcoming “Avengers” movies. “Doomsday” was known as “The Kang Dynasty” until last year. But Majors was fired following his legal troubles.
It turns out that Robert Downey Jr. is responsible for the Russo brothers’ return to the MCU. A source familiar with his lucrative deal with Marvel informed Variety in July 2024 that “[the Russos] were the only ones he would work with.”
Robert Downey Jr.’s big payday
Marvel’s big marketing push for “Avengers: Doomsday” starts this week, even though the highly anticipated crossover is one year away. Marvel decided to take advantage of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” to deliver an unusual publicity stunt for the superhero flick. Each week, a new “Avengers: Doomsday” trailer will play before “Avatar 3,” giving us a look at some of the film’s key characters. The first clips have already leaked online, driving plenty of excitement from fans for the next “Avengers” movie.
That’s the kind of publicity Marvel needs, even though “Doomsday” will premiere only on December 18, 2026, and films with “Avengers” in the title usually sell themselves. “Doomsday” should easily top $1 billion at the box office, but that might not be enough for Marvel, especially given the rumored details about Robert Downey Jr.’s new deal. The involvement of the Russos may have been a non-negotiable for the Oscar-winning actor, but his contract contains other perks, including a private jet and security.
The actor already made between $500 million and $600 million for his appearances as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the MCU, including previous “Iron Man,” “Avengers,” and other crossovers. Downey Jr.’s iconic character allowed Marvel to profit from a continuously expanding universe of interconnected superhero stories. His new contract will be quite lucrative, with Downey Jr. expected to make “significantly more” than $80 million for “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars.” More recent reports claim the figure is close to $100 million. The Russo brothers are reportedly to be paid $80 million for the two movies, which doesn’t include back-end pay and performance bonuses tied to crossing $750 million and $1 billion at the box office.
When will we see Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom?
While the figures above are not confirmed, they help explain why Marvel’s “Doomsday” promo kickstarts with “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Marvel needs both “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” to be incredibly successful at the box office. RDJ and the Russos aside, the next “Avengers” movies will feature a few dozen well-known actors, who previously appeared in most, if not all, “Avengers” movies. In March, Marvel hosted an “Avengers: Doomsday” livestream event on YouTube where it unveiled 27 actor names, including RDJ. The actor was the only cast member to be featured in that clip. The Russo brothers have delivered before. Their previous “Avengers” movies made over $4.85 billion at the box office, a record Marvel will surely want to beat.
All this means we’ll soon see Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. The character appeared in a “Fantastic Four” credits scene, but Marvel didn’t show his face or mask. This should change in the next few weeks, when the first “Doomsday” full trailer will likely feature the character. Surprisingly, this week’s teaser doesn’t feature the film’s titular character. Instead of Doom, the audience will see Steve Rogers in a familiar setting. Chris Evans, who also retired from the MCU, will return for “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars.”
