"Come back as what?" Robert Downey Jr. on how Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige got him back into the MCU

In July, Robert Downey Jr . stunned fans by revealing at San Diego Comic-Con that he's returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — but as villain Dr. Doom, not Tony Stark.

Stark, of course, sacrificed himself to save the world at the climax of 2019's Avengers: Endgame , and Feige has subsequently gone on the record that he didn't want to "magically undo" that.

To The Hollywood Reporter 's Awards Chatter podcast , Downey explained how that twist came to be.

He recalled that he and his producing partner — and wife — Susan Downey were chatting with the studio's president, Kevin Feige , when he mentioned something that took the Downeys aback.

"He said, 'It just keeps occurring to me, if you were to come back ...,'" Downey said. "Susan was like, 'Wait, wait. Come back as what?'"

"How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked into this character," the actor said.

"Later on, he goes, 'Let's get Victor Von Doom right.'"

Downey said Disney CEO Bob Iger had already been made aware of Feige's idea, reporting, "I like it."

Four-time Marvel blockbuster directors Joe and Anthony Russo are also returning to the MCU with Downey behind Doom's mask in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars , set for 2027.

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