How does Robert Downey Jr. get to play Doctor Doom?

This weekend, during Marvel’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con, we got a big surprise. Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU is the announcement that is dividing fans, as it’s not just about bringing back the pillar on which this universe was built, but about him playing a character just as important as the opposite. The role of Doctor Doom is not just anything, we are talking about one of the most important, charismatic and powerful villains that exist in the comic book universe of the House of Ideas. But how is this possible? How will the actor’s return to this universe be?

Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom in the Comics

First, it is important to note that although they are not antagonists who clash every month in the comics, Iron Man and Doctor Doom have seen each other’s maks on several occasions, either in the main line or in the What If universes. Their first direct confrontation was in 1981, in a story that took them to the court of King Arthur. On the other hand, one of their most recent stories took place after the events of Civil War II, where a reformed Victor Von Doom took the place of a comatose Tony Stark to become the Infamous Iron Man and take his place as a hero.

On the other hand, we have had “What if” versions where both characters are just versions of each other. ‘Iron Man: Demon in an Armor’ presents us with a body-switch between Doom and Stark. Iron Maniac is another example where Tony Stark is Doctor Doom himself. But is it in these comics that we will find the answer? We cannot assume that a body swap is the solution to magically make Robert Downey Jr. appear, or that it is a Tony Stark with the mind of the monarch of Latveria.

The (not so clear) rules of the multiverse

Since Loki’s debut in 2021, the multiverse and its variations have been the dominant themes of the post-Avengers: Endgame phases. The series established that a character’s appearance in other universes would not always be the same. We have seen cases like ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ or ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ where the same actors reprised their characters, but from a different multiverse, but other characters were played by different actors. This is an element that is clearly confusing to audiences but has become commonplace.

We still lack details, but the multiverse can make Victor Von Doom coherent by having the physical appearance of Tony Stark from the MCU. At the same San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that Fantastic Four: The First Steps takes place in an alternate timeline to the one we know. Just as the Reed Richards we met in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is nothing like the Mr. Fantastic we will meet in this installment, the same could happen with this Doctor Doom. In the randomness that the multiverse presents, he coincidentally has a face that we know.

This would not be the first time an MCU actor has played two different characters. Maybe in the same timeline but on different planets, as in the case of Gemma Chan, who played Minn-Erva in ‘Captain Marvel’ and later Sersi in ‘Eternals’; or Michelle Yeoh, who played Aleta Ogord in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2′ and Ying Nan in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’; or Linda Cardellini, who brought Laura Barton to life in’ Avengers: Age of Ultron’ and Lylla The Otter in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3′... well, the latter doesn’t really count. One thing is clear, none of these actors or actresses have had such a leading and important role as Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

In any case, there is still a long way to go to find out what Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Doctor Doom will be like. Will we see his face or will he always wear the iconic mask? Will he join the main MCU universe with the Fantastic 4? What will happen when Peter Parker or another Avenger sees his face in some of the final showdowns?  Many questions remain.