Disney made many announcements at the recent D23 event, but one that seems to have gone unnoticed is that Robert Downey Jr., the recently cast Doctor Doom, is also coming back to play Iron Man.
Many fans thought that Robert Downey Jr. had left the Marvel Cinematic Universe for good after Avengers: Endgame (2019), in which Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, sacrificed his life to save the universe from Thanos (Josh Brolin).
Since then, RDJ seems to have kept his distance from the MCU, although he has previously expressed his openness to reprising his iconic role. But while actors like Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo were willing to voice their Marvel characters in the Disney+ What If…? series, Iron Man was recast with Mick Wingert.
Related: Marvel Cancels Critically Acclaimed ‘What If…’ Series, Show Will Conclude With Season 3
That was a strong indication that it would take something big to get Robert Downey Jr. back in his Iron Man role.
According to Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, a scene was written to include the actor, which he turned down flat. Levy said, “We said, ‘Oh, Downey doesn’t say ‘no’ to Ryan Reynolds, does he? No one says no to Ryan Reynolds.’” Wernick wondered. “And Ryan gave him the hard press. We wrote scenes, and Downey read the scenes, but what we didn’t know behind the scenes was this Doctor Doom thing.”
It turns out that while Downey Jr. can turn down Marvel’s most critically acclaimed series and a billion-dollar box office juggernaut, he cannot turn down the lure of returning as Iron Man for Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure.
The D23 event revealed that two attractions were being added to the park: Avengers: Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab. Reportedly, both new additions will feature the voice of RDJ as Tony Stark, though it is still unclear to what degree.
According to KTLA, Avengers: Infinity Defense will “transport riders to locations across the Marvel Universe, including New York City, the nation of Wakanda, and Thor’s home planet of Asgard, as the Avengers battle King Thanos and attempt to foil his plans for universal chaos” and Stark Flight Lab “centers around a testing lab for new Avengers equipment. Riders will be paired up with a hero of the Avengers as they fly around the shop. Each experience will be unique depending on which hero a rider ends up with.”
It is notable that Downey Jr.’s return as Tony Stark follows the San Diego Comic-Con announcement that he had been cast as Doom, the upcoming central villain of Avengers: Doomsday (née Kang Dynasty).
While Marvel Studios has not publicly released the actor’s salary to return for Doomsday and the subsequent Secret Wars, it has been reported to be in excess of $100 million, likely in part via box office points and bonuses. For that kind of money, it would seem likely that the company would try to lock him down for an afternoon of dialogue recording for these new attractions.
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The return of Iron Man, even as part of Avengers Campus, might also help to soothe some MCU fans who are angered about the casting of RDJ as Doom. While there was immediate elation in Hall H when the actor appeared and announced “new mask, same task,” there has been a swift backlash to his new role.
Some people are angry at the sheer size of Downey Jr.’s compensation package, particularly as blockbuster movie budgets are hitting grotesque new heights. Others are angry that a non-Romani actor was cast as Doom, while others simply don’t like the idea of him playing anyone but Tony Stark or altering previous canonical events.
But while the backlash will probably continue until the day Doomsday premieres (and almost certainly after then), MCU fans can at least get some new Iron Man dialogue by heading to California Adventure.
Do you think RDJ should have returned as Iron Man instead of Doom?