New Actor To Play Doctor Doom in the MCU Four Months After Robert Downey Jr. Cast

Marvel’s surprise announcement just got a whole lot more surprising!

Marvel Studios has set the stage for an exciting lineup of upcoming projects in 2025, 2026, and 2027, leaving fans buzzing with anticipation. One of the most talked-about announcements from the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con was the surprising return of the Russo Brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The duo, renowned for directing some of Marvel’s biggest hits, such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019), will now take on the highly anticipated Phase Six Avengers films: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, slated for release in May 2026 and May 2027, respectively.

The major reveal that sent shockwaves through the fanbase was that Avengers: Doomsday—formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty–will center around one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, Victor von Doom, AKA Doctor Doom. Even more surprising, Robert Downey Jr. will be reprising his role within the MCU, but this time not as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

Instead, he will take on the Doom role, making his official return to the franchise as the formidable antagonist. This casting choice is a bold move on Kevin Feige’s part, considering Downey Jr.’s near-synonymous relationship with the Marvel Studios franchise and his decade-long run as Iron Man, the character who jump-started the MCU back in 2008.

While the announcement of Downey Jr.’s casting has stirred excitement, it has also sparked some controversy. For some fans, the decision to cast him as Doctor Doom feels like a calculated move to lure back audiences who may have grown weary of the MCU’s recent output. Critics have voiced concerns about Marvel not using an actor of Romani descent to portray Doctor Doom, who is traditionally depicted as having that heritage in the comics.

Despite these criticisms, Downey Jr.’s return as Doom is expected to draw massive attention, especially as his first appearance will reportedly be in a post-credits scene for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, directed by Matt Shakman and set for release in July 2025. The Fantastic Four will also see the debut of Pedro Pascal (Gladiator II) as Reed Richards.

However, fans won’t have to wait until 2025 to see Doctor Doom.

Marvel Animation is gearing up for the third and final season of its popular Disney+ series What If…?, premiering this December. Marvel’s Look Ahead video, which also included release dates for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Daredevil: Born Again, and more, surprised fans by announcing that the final season of the series will close out 2024.

What If…?, the series that explores alternate realities within the MCU, has been a fan favorite since its debut in 2021. Directed by Bryan Andrews with Matt Chauncey as the head writer, the show’s upcoming season will release episodes daily, starting on December 22, in a similar fashion to 2023.

In a twist, while Robert Downey Jr. will portray Doctor Doom in live-action, the animated version of the character in What If…? will be voiced by Ross Marquand. Marquand, known for his previous voice work as Red Skull and Ultron, also briefly voiced Doctor Doom in X-Men ’97.

The What If…? Season 3 cast is packed with fan-favorite characters and new faces. Confirmed returning voices include Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), and Tom Hiddleston (Loki). Additionally, newcomers America Ferrera and Jason Isaacs will join the MCU through this animated series, with Natasha Lyonne set to appear as a character named Byrdie. Comic Book Movie dropped the full cast list here.

The upcoming season promises to revisit characters like Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and introduce Storm, voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith, to the MCU. Sealy-Smith reprises her role from X-Men: The Animated Series and the recent X-Men ’97 sequel. Jeffrey Wright is also confirmed to return as Uatu, The Watcher, guiding audiences through more reality-bending narratives.

The recasting of major MCU stars is not an uncommon practice for the MCU’s first animated series. In Season 1 of the show, Tom Holland was replaced by Hudson Thames as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, while Brie Larson and Chris Evans were also recast with Alexandra Daniels and Josh Keaton in their respective Captain Marvel and Steve Rogers roles.

Looking beyond What If…?, 2025 will mark a return to form for Marvel Studios with a lineup reminiscent of the MCU’s peak content years. Kicking off with Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in January, the year will see Captain America: Brave New World in February, followed by Daredevil: Born Again.

The film Thunderbolts* and the Disney+ series Ironheart will close out Phase Five in the summer before Phase Six begins with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Fans can also look forward to shows like Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Zombies, and Wonder Man rounding out the year.

As Marvel Studios moves forward, it’s clear that the MCU’s next phase will bring both familiar faces and bold new storytelling directions. Whether Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will live up to the hype remains to be seen, but his return certainly raises the stakes for what’s to come.

How do you feel about Ross Marquand taking on the role of Doctor Doom in the What If…? series? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments down below!