Marvel has cast Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in two new Avengers movies

Enlarge / Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom in two new Avengers movies from the Russo brothers. (credit: Marvel Studios)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe received a much-needed boost this weekend with the box office dominance of Deadpool and Wolverine, which raked in a record-breaking $438.3 million worldwide and $205 million domestically. And the Marvel panel at this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con kept up the momentum, delighting attendees with sneak peeks of what's to come—most notably the return of Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU. The twist: RDJ won't be donning his usual Iron Man suit. Instead, he'll be playing Doctor Doom for Avengers: Doomsday (2026), with the Russo brothers returning to direct. This will be followed by the Russo-directed Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

Comic-Con attendees were also treated to exclusive new footage from Captain America: Brave New World, and updates on Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four reboot, titled First Steps, as well as a surprise screening of Deadpool and Wolverine.

“New mask, same task”

The Russo brothers will direct Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday. (credit: Marvel Studios)

It's no secret that Marvel Studios originally planned to build its Phase Six Avengers arc (The Kang Dynasty) around Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror (and associated Variants), introduced in Loki and last year's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. But then Majors was convicted of "reckless assault and harassment" (domestic violence), and Marvel fired the actor soon after. That meant the studio needed to retool its Phase Six plans, culminating in the announced return of the Russo brothers, who directed four of the MCU's most successful films, which brought in more than $6 billion at the global box office.