In a twist of fate, Robert Downey Jr. almost played Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four 20 years ago
Jul. 29, 2024What could have been…
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Marvel broke the internet at San Diego Comic-Con with the news thatRobert Downey Jr. would play Doctor DoominAvengers: Doomsday.
Inan Iron Man retrospective, director Jon Favreau andMarvel Studiospresident Kevin Feige sat down to discuss first meeting their leading man.
“I remember that Robert had come in for a general [meeting] on it and you had already met with him for Doctor Doom or something,” Favreau recalled. “I think he had come through on Fantastic Four. So everybody knew who he was.”
Favreau added, “I remember sitting down with the guy and I was like, ‘He’s got that spark in his eye and he’s ready.’ That’s when we were in your office and we were putting to his headshot and saying we’ve gotta try and figure this out.”
Of course, the rest is (cinematic) history: Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Tony Stark (AKA Iron Man) across three standalone movies and multiple other MCU films, becoming the lynchpin for the billion-dollar franchise.
As for Doctor Doom? While it’s unclear exactly how close Downey Jr. came to playing the part, the role eventually went to Julian McMahon, who also played the role in the 2007 sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer.
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Now, it’s up to Downey Jr. to don the mask. He will play Victor von Doom across both Avengers: Doomsday andAvengers: Secret Wars.
For more from SDCC and the MCU, check outeverything announced at the Marvel SDCC panel, plus our interviews withHarrison Ford,Anthony Mackie, andMarvel stars reacting to Robert Downey Jr.’s shock return.
I’m the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you’ll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
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