- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
The ‘Iron Man’ star made his entrance on stage among a group of hooded and masked figures, creating an air of mystery before stepping forward to reveal his new role
By: India Weekly
AT THE Comic-Con event in San Diego on Saturday, Robert Downey Jr. made a highly anticipated announcement about his return to Marvel films.
The Oscar-winning actor, who first launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008’s “Iron Man,” is set to reprise his role in a new capacity as Doctor Doom, a key villain in the Marvel comics.
Downey Jr. made his entrance on stage among a group of hooded and masked figures, creating an air of mystery before stepping forward to reveal his new role.
“New mask. Same task. What’d I tell you? I like playing complicated characters,” Downey Jr. stated, eliciting an enthusiastic response from the audience of Marvel fans.
Kevin Feige, Marvel’s film president, took the stage to provide details on several upcoming superhero movies. The franchise, which has accumulated $30 billion in box office revenue, has experienced a series of high-profile failures in recent years.
This has led to some fans calling for a reboot due to increasingly convoluted plotlines and the departure of beloved characters.
In recent developments, actor Jonathan Majors, who was originally slated to become a major supervillain across several Marvel films, has been removed from the franchise following his conviction for assault and harassment. Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom appears to address this gap.
The presentation was marked by an intense level of excitement, with fans queuing for hours to secure a seat. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously directed 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” will return to direct “Avengers: Doomsday” in May 2026 and “Avengers: Secret Wars” in May 2027.
The event also featured a performance themed around “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a new R-rated superhero movie that is currently enjoying a record-breaking opening.
Feige used the occasion to outline Marvel’s plans for the next three years, including the release of “Captain America: Brave New World” in February, which will star Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross, a U.S. president who becomes Red Hulk. Other upcoming films include “Thunderbolts” in May 2025, featuring Florence Pugh, and “The Fantastic 4: First Steps” in July 2025, starring Pedro Pascal and set in 1960s New York.
In a related development, Warner Bros. previewed “The Penguin,” a new series set to debut on HBO on September 19. This series is a spin-off from the 2022 film “The Batman,” which starred Robert Pattinson.
