Robert Downey Jr to return to Marvel as Doctor Doom

Kathryn ArmstrongBBC News

Robert Downey Jr is returning to the Marvel superhero universe after five years, but not in his Iron Man role that launched the blockbuster franchise.

He will be making a return as Dr. Victor Von Doom, a well-known villain from the comics that launched the beloved film series.

Downey Jr will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to release in May 2026. It will be followed by an additional film entitled Secret Wars a year later.

Stars that will join in the Marvel franchise were revealed in Comic Con. Comic Con event in San Diego.

Downey Jr was on stage, hidden behind the iconic mask of Doctor Doom and cloak of green before revealing himself to the crowd.

When he spoke to reporters, he told them: “I like playing complicated characters.”

The 59-year-old was pivotal in the creation of the Marvel film universe, appearing in the very first film Iron Man in 2008.

The last time he appeared was in the Marvel film in the 2019 release of Avengers: Endgame.

The American actor was awarded the Oscar for his performance in Oppenheimer earlier this year.

Marvel is scheduled to release three more films in 2025, before Avengers is released on big screens.

Captain America: Brave New World will have Harrison Ford replace the late William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.

Florence Pugh will take on the lead part in Thunderbolts as well as Pedro Pascal will make his Marvel debut in The Fantastic 4: First Steps.

Disney’s Marvel film series has generated $30 billion (PS23.3bn) on box office revenue – the first franchise in history to do this however, profits have been declining since the past few years.

However it is it is worth noting that the recently released Deadpool & Wolverine, with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman offers the possibility of a revival the film made $96m in its first morning on Friday.

The year before, Marvel dropped actor Jonathan Majors who played the villain Kang the Conqueror – following his conviction for attacking his girlfriend.