Robert Downey Jr dramatically returns to Marvel as arch villain in Avengers: Doomsday

Robert Downey Jr stunned fans on Saturday when he dramatically unmasked himself as arch villain Doctor Doom to mark his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The stage at the Marvel Studios Panel at Comic Con 2024 in San Diego, California , was packed with hooded figures wearing face masks of the comic book villain known for his skills in both sorcery and science. One of these concealed figures, it turned out, was the Iron Man actor .

In a video from the event shared on X by Marvel Studios, Downey Jr told a roomful of excited fans: "New mask, same task."

"I like playing complicated characters," he said as fans chanted his name.

Downey Jr started a superhero craze with his Iron Man debut in 2008 and went on to star as the character in eight further Marvel films. The character was killed in Avengers: Endgame, released in 2019.

“When we directed Avengers: Endgame , Joe and I truly believed it was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe," Anthony Russo told the Comic Con crowd. “In the time since, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see a road forward with you.”

Joe and Anthony Russo directed Endgame as well as the previous Avengers film Infinity Wars .

The Russo Brothers are returning to direct the next Avengers films Doomsday and Secret Wars .

Another villain joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe is cosmic entity Galactus, antagonist of The Fantastic Four : First Steps , directed by Matt Shakman.

There were plenty more showstopping moments at the Marvel panel. It started with a boisterous Deadpool choir, inspired by the recent film Deadpool & Wolverine, which Marvel president Kevin Feige claimed has set the box office record for the highest grossing R-rated film ever.

Iterations of the red-costumed character called Deadpool danced around the hall, walking amidst the seated attendees as the film’s anthem, Like a Prayer by Madonna, played.

Deadpool & Wolverine has seen the biggest domestic box office opening of 2024, with US and Canadian sales through Sunday expected to be between $175mn and $185mn, according to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

The cast of the upcoming Captain America : Brave New World also took the stage with lead Anthony Mackie sharing how his version of the titular superhero will be different from that played by Chris Evans .

Additional reporting by agencies.