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The news that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has left fans stunned.
The actor, 59, plays villain Doctor Doom in the new Avengers film. Avengers: Doomsday.
The Oppenheimer The star surprised onlookers with her dramatic reveal of the new role during a Marvel panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday night (July 27).
Stepping forward from a line of similarly masked figures on stage, Downey Jr. removed his silver mask, to an ecstatic reaction from the crowd.
“New mask, same mission,” he announced triumphantly after it was announced he would be playing Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers installment.
The actor, who first appeared as Iron Man in 2008, is no stranger to the MCU. Avengers: Endgame.
In recent interviews, Downey Jr. said he was “excited” to return to Marvel: “It’s a very integral part of my DNA.”
However, fans assumed that if he ever did return, he would naturally reprise his role as Playboy genius Tony Stark or Iron Man, who met his demise in 2019. Avengers: Endgame.
The news that Downey Jr. will play the villainous Victor Van Doom came as a big surprise.
That said, it didn’t quite come out. Last December, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige insisted that Iron Man’s storyline was done for good. Feige said Vanity Fair That he didn’t want to mess with the character’s emotional outpouring.
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Avengers: DoomsdayWith no release date yet, Joe and Anthony Russo will direct in their own return to Marvel.
The two – who have directed four MCU films, including the 2019 mega-hit Avengers: Endgame – also appeared at Comic-Con on Saturday (July 27).
“When we directed Avengers: EndgameJoe and I truly believed this was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Russo told fans at the event.
“Through a special story, Joe and I have come to see the path forward with you.”
There was plenty more to see during the Marvel panel, and the recently released Deadpool kicked off with a chorus of cheers. Deadpool & Wolverine, Feige set the box office record for the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
Although it was released to neutral reviews, Deadpool & Wolverine Delivering $96m (£74m) at the US domestic box office on Friday (July 26), it saw its biggest domestic box office opening of the year, making it the sixth-biggest opening day of all time.
