When I learned that Doctor Doom was being ushered into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I never would have predicted that we’d be seeing Iron Man behind the mask. Robert Downey Jr. is, of course, taking on the role of Victor von Doom and will make his debut in the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. And the more I see of the upcoming Marvel movie, the more excited I become, especially when it comes to Doom. As shocked as I initially was about Downey’s casting, though, I’m even more shocked that Sebastian Stan wasn’t in the know beforehand.
Stan spoke with Josh Horowitz about all things superheroes and pop culture, and the latter brought up the big Doom reveal. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Horowitz recalled Stan being at San Diego Comic-Con when Downey’s involvement was announced. The journalist opined that Stan “must have known it was coming.” Yet the Oscar nominee got real about not having gotten a heads up:
So what happens is you get there, and then you get kind of escorted to his little green area green room area and that’s where you see everyone and it becomes like this weird high school reunion in a way. And you go, ‘Wow, Anthony you’ve really aged.’ But you see all these people. And then there was like a weird whisper going around and somebody said, ‘You know who’s here?’ And I was like — Even then, I was like, ‘Judi Dench?’ I don’t know, it could’ve been anybody. But I had no idea until that mask came off. I remember, we were standing there, and I was like, ‘This is insane. I know this is crazy, and I know this isn’t happening. But it is happening. But it’s the only way it could ever happen.’
I think he perfectly sums up what many of us were feeling that night. I can’t imagine what Downey’s various Avengers castmates must have been thinking. The crowd in Hall H eventually erupted upon seeing Downey, and that excitement remains, even if some people aren’t convinced he’s the right choice for Doom.
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What doesn’t surprise me about all this are the lengths that Marvel went to in order to keep the Downey news a secret until the epic announcement. Marvel is well-known for making actors keep secrets (or at least attempt to do so). So, when Horowitz asked Stan if he had any intel, the actor said he didn’t even cross paths with RDJ or directors Joe and Anthony Russo at Comic-Con aside from the panel. He continued:
Robert was non-existent even in the green room or anywhere. I don’t know how they got him in there. I mean, he must have been wearing the costume the entire time, because no one had seen him.
That secrecy aside, I’m just happy RDJ is back in the fold. And, funny enough, this was a recycled casting idea dating back to Tim Story’s Fantastic Four (2005). Downey was apparently being circled for the role before it went to the late Julian McMahon, who reprised the role for the sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). McMahon’s performance was also a big reason why I loved the villain so much.
As for Stan, he’s been relatively tight-lipped about what’s to come in this latest Avengers movie. However, some of his choice comments did have fans concerned that Bucky might be killed off in Doomsday. In addition to the mortality of the characters, I’m also hoping a few details pay off, including a Loki plotline dating back to Endgame that has bugged me since I saw it. That particular details centers around the fact that there’s no indication as to how Steve Rogers’ decision to return to Peggy impacted the timeline.
Much of that may or may not be undone by Doom if he has his way, and I remain curious as to how Downey will play out the character’s arc. I can only assume that at this point, Sebastian Stan is a bit more in the know. But, given how actors don’t even receive full scripts for MCU films at times, I could imagine him being shocked a few more times when he finally sees the finished movie.
Check out Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom when Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18 as part of the 2026 movie schedule. In the meantime, catch up with the required MCU viewing list by streaming movies with a Disney+ subscription.
