Warning: This article contains spoilers for Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday.
Robert Downey Jr.‘s Doctor Doom could be even more powerful than Josh Brolin‘s Thanos. According to Downey Jr., one of the biggest reasons Infinity War worked was the presence of Thanos.
In a recent interview with CBR, Downey compared Doctor Doom’s role in Avengers: Doomsday to Thanos’ role in Infinity War. The actor appears to view Doom as the key element that could elevate Doomsday in the same way Thanos elevated Infinity War.
Downey Jr. said, “I think Doomsday, more than any [film] so far… just because I’ve now realized our tendency to be telling the story of the world while hiding behind the fact that, ‘No, we’re just telling superhero movies that you can enjoy!’”
He added, “But you’re only as good as your bad guy, tying Doomsday to Infinity War specifically. And again, the only thing everybody could rally around [in Infinity War] is, ‘You’re going to have to contend with Brolin.’”
Downey Jr. says he approached Doctor Doom by trying to understand the character from the perspective of the writers and directors. He also revealed that the team has worked “long and hard” to develop a story worthy of the expectations surrounding Avengers: Doomsday.
He said, “I’m quite odd in that I try to stay as removed from a subjective experience of things as I can. So, I try to think like the brothers. I try to feel like I’m in the writing room. I try to feel all that stuff. But eventually, there are so many big shoes to step into that you just have to go, ‘What hasn’t been done as well as it can be done yet?’ We’re always looking for that opportunity. And a lot of it has been… there’s some experimentation. We’ve had our moments of, ‘Let’s shift here.’ But we landed in a place that I think will more than suffice. And it’s not even about how I executed it. It’s about the way it’s been structured, and the other characters. There’s something going on in Doomsday and beyond that is literally the only antidote to, ‘How do you not have these films be a letdown after an Infinity War and an Endgame?’ And boy, have we labored long and hard to bring that about.”
Russo Brothers Call Avengers: Doomsday the Most Mature Avengers Movie Ever
The Russo Brothers reveal that Avengers: Doomsday is the most emotionally mature Avengers film to date. They also consider Doomsday to be the most emotionally complex film in the franchise.
Additionally, Avengers: Doomsday will reportedly feature numerous surprises for fans.
“[Doomsday and Secret Wars have] obviously been harder than the other ones, for that reason. The stakes keep going up,” Russo said. “But emotional complexity is always the answer. You bring emotional complexity to anything, and it enriches it. It makes it a fuller experience for the audiences. It surprises you. There are a lot of surprises in this. And I think [Doomsday is] the most emotionally complex of all of them. And in a lot of ways, the most mature of all of them.”
Here’s the official synopsis for Avengers: Doomsday:
“Beloved heroes from three distinct universes (Earth-616, Earth-828, and Earth-10005) will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.”
Directed by the Russo brothers from a screenplay by their longtime collaborator Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron.
Announced Cast for Avengers: Doomsday
- Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
- Chris Evans as Steve Rogers
- Paul Rudd as Ant-Man
- Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Danny Ramirez as Falcon
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
- Winston Duke as M’Baku
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Letitia Wright as Black Panther
- Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor
- Anthony Mackie as Captain America
- David Harbour as Red Guardian
- Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
- Lewis Pullman as Sentry
X-Men cast:
- Ian McKellen as Magneto
- Patrick Stewart as Professor X
- Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
- James Marsden as Cyclops
- Kelsey Grammer as Beast
- Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
- Channing Tatum as Gambit
Fantastic Four cast:
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic)
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman)
- Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch)
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing)
Produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Russo Brothers will produce through their AGBO banner.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters across the United States on December 18, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled for release on
