Is Robert Downey Jr's MCU return a good idea?

Marvel made quite the splash at San Diego Comic Con over the weekend when it was revealed that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU, but not as Iron Man as the villain Doctor Doom.

With Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) firmly being thrown into the Void by the MCU, Marvel has decided to pivot away from the time-hopping villain to Doctor Doom in Avengers 5 and 6. While revealing this change at Hall H on Saturday 27 July, the Russo brothers —who will also return to direct the upcoming films— said they needed a big star to play the character and it was revealed that the person they thought fit best was Downey Jr.

The actor had suggested he was ready to put Marvel behind him after closing out Tony Stark's arc in Avengers: Endgame, but clearly he feels there is something else worth exploring with the character — or, at least, with Victor von Doom.

Marvel fans were divided by the news, with some calling it "desperate" and others celebrating Downey Jr's comeback so the question remains is it a good idea?

The pros of Robert Downey Jr's MCU return

Let's focus on the positives first, Downey Jr returning to the MCU will feel like a homecoming for some Marvel fans.

Even if he is playing a new character the actor felt synonymous with the franchise for decades, it was the first Iron Man movie that kicked off the MCU as we know it. The actor worked wonders in the MCU as Tony Stark and was always a big box office draw, so he could easily be the person to help reinvigorate it.

Read more: How can Robert Downey Jr play Doctor Doom and Iron Man?

Not only that but since Iron Man's death in Endgame fans have called for him to make a comeback, and since no one ever really dies in Marvel it feels fitting to bring him back — if Nick Fury can do it then why not Tony Stark.

Also, having the remaining Avengers face an enemy with the face of their fallen friend will likely prove an interesting emotional conundrum for them, how can they defeat the villain when he reminds them so much of Tony?

If anyone will struggle with this it's Peter Parker (Tom Holland), who had such a close bond with the original Tony as his mentor that he may well blame himself for breaking the multiverse during the events of No Way Home.

For some it also feels like a return to the good old days, a way for Marvel to undo some of the so-called damage done by the post-Endgame films and TV shows — only some of which has worked.

The cons of Robert Downey Jr's MCU return

The question that some viewers have though is why Doctor Doom? There is another character in the Marvel comics multiverse who would fit the bill: Superior Iron Man.

Superior Iron Man is a variant of Tony Stark turned villain, which fits more with what Marvel appears to want to do with the character in Avengers 5 and 6 than Doctor Doom. That's not to say there aren't ways to explain Downey Jr's return as the villain, but it is something that fans have questioned.

Read more: Marvel fans condemn ‘desperate’ Doctor Doom news as Robert Downey Jr returns as villain (The Independent, 3-min read)

The biggest elephant in the room is that Downey Jr's return seems more like a ploy to profit on nostalgia than a decision with creative value.

For some viewers it is a desperate attempt to bring back fans to the box office, empty fan service for the sake of it, and it undermines the impact of Iron Man's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. Arguably, this has worked well for Deadpool & Wolverine which brought back Hugh Jackman's character without undoing the character's death in 2017's Logan.

One of the main arguments against Downey Jr's casting as Doctor Doom comes down to the character's origin. The villain is of Romani descent who hails from Latveria, and several fans have called out Marvel for choosing not to cast an actor with a Romani background to play the character.

The role could have also been a life-changing one for an upcoming actor, so using the opportunity as a way to bring back Downey Jr seems like wasted potential.

In the comics, when his family are killed Doom swears revenge and while attempting to resurrect his dead mother he damages his face in an explosion — hence his decision to wear a mask. The character serves as an antagonist to the Fantastic Four, who will make their MCU debut in 2025, after Doom damages his face after ignoring advice from Reed Richards.

Given Tony Stark doesn't have a connection to Marvel's first family, that we know of, the decision to bring back Downey Jr also feels like it undermines the potential of the character. Only time will tell whether the casting decision was a good one.