Few actors have merged with their roles as much as Robert Downey Jr. with Iron Man. In 2008, he portrayed the Marvel hero for the first time on the big screen. In the following years, he has become Leading figure of the Marvel Cinematic Universe However, his return comes with a twist.
At the Comic-Con in San Diego last weekend, it was revealed that Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel universe. However, this time he will not be wearing the Iron Man mask. Instead, he will be Doctor Doom to life. He is set as a villain for Avengers 5: Doomsday and Avengers 6: Secret Wars.
Failed casting: Robert Downey Jr. wanted to play Doctor Doom in the 2005 Fantastic Four film
This announcement came as a surprise to many Marvel fans, but if we look back in time, there is an interesting connection between Robert Downey Jr. and Doctor Doom. More than 19 years ago The actor had applied for the role – and failed the casting.
20th Century Studios
Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four (2005)
The trivia comes from a video special released to mark the 15th anniversary of Iron Man, in which director Jon Favreau talks about Downey Jr. being cast in the Fantastic Four film from 2005 auditioned for Doom. In the end, however, the role went to Nip/Tuck star Julian McMahon.
Now, almost two decades later, Downey Jr. finally has the opportunity to bring his version of Doctor Doom to the cinema. However, circumstances have changed completely changed: Back in 2005, Downey Jr. was nowhere near the Hollywood heavyweight he is today thanks to the mega-success of his Marvel performance.
On the contrary: Due to drug problems and many negative headlines In the 2000s, studio executives were very cautious about which roles Downey Jr. was cast in. Marvel boss Kevin Feige, who was involved in Fantastic Four as an executive producer, finally gave Downey Jr. a chance as Iron Man.
When will Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 be released in theaters?
Filming for Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025, so that the film can be released on 29 April 2026 in cinemas. Avengers: Secret Wars follows about a year later. On May 5, 2027, Robert Downey Jr. will face the Avengers as Doctor Doom in a storyline that could change the MCU forever.
The 7 most expensive Netflix films of all time
Netflix invests unimaginable sums in its original films, but the question often arises: where on earth did the money go? And was the effort really worth it? In this edition of our Moviepilot podcast Streamgestöber we look at the most expensive films in Netflix history.
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For quite some time now, the streaming service has been trying to compete with big blockbuster productions and is spending a lot of money to do so. But what will the end result be?
We take a closer look at the streaming service’s seven most expensive film projects to find out whether the nine-figure budgets can be compared to the success and quality of the films.