Fans attending San Diego Comic-Con on July 27 were reportedly shocked to learn the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would welcome back actor Robert Downey, Jr., this time as evil Doctor Doom in three upcoming films. These films include The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Downey’s return to the MCU was not greatly received by a large number of fans. The fanbase had difficulty seeing Downey playing another character other than his iconic role, Iron Man.
Vivian Snow, a sophomore piano major at Las Vegas Academy (LVA) said she was oblivious to the news. Snow had “No idea,” about the controversial decision as she explained that she was much more of a Spider-Man fan.
This isn’t the first time an actor has returned to the MCU in a different role. In the recent Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) film, Chris Evans returned to the MCU to portray Johnny Storm, a character he previously played in the 2005 film Fantastic Four. That movie received mixed reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 28% and IMDb rating it 5.7/10.
When asked if she saw the new Deadpool film she said she had not seen it yet but would like to. When asked about Evans acting in a different role other than Captain America Snow simply said “Sad,” and quickly showed disinterest in the film.
Hugh Jackman also reprised his role as Wolverine, although Wolverine died in the film Logan (2017). In Deadpool 2 (2018). Fans were less upset with Jackman’s return since the film was generally well-received, unlike Deadpool 2, which didn’t perform as well as the original movie.
Fans have seemingly grown weary of the rollercoaster of actors playing different roles in the MCU. Audiences learned in 2021 that Falcon, portrayed by actor Anthony Mackie, from the television series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, would become the new Captain America.
Snow was bothered by the idea of a new Captain America movie that would not feature Evans. “I’m not going to watch it,” Snow said, dismayed.
Captain America: A Brave New World is set to be released on Feb. 14, 2025.
As the MCU evolves with new roles and the same actors, fans are sure to keep talking. Whether they are excited or skeptical, one thing is clear: these decisions will significantly impact the future of the franchise.
