Go ahead. Call me a hater. I know you want to. But I don’t care. I’m still not feeling Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.
I know I’ve had plenty of time to warm up to the idea, as we’ve known since as far back as 2024 that Downey would play the character. In all that time, I’m STILL not convinced that RDJ is the best choice for Doctor Doom, and I know I’m not alone.
However, this isn’t about other people. It’s about me, and why I still don’t think Robert Downey Jr. should be the ruler of Latveria. Here’s why.
The Most Recent Trailer Didn't Do Anything To Change My Mind
Honestly, I was hoping to marvel (pun not intended) at a trailer featuring Doctor Doom. As someone who wasn’t blown away by the X-Men trailer, I was really banking on Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Doom to be what finally got me excited for this film. Then I saw the trailer, and let me tell you: I was NOT marveled.
In fact, underwhelmed might be a better word. I think it’s the voice, as it does nothing for me. Sure, I’m glad that we haven’t seen Robert Downey Jr.’s face yet, as that would probably completely ruin it for me, but Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Doctor Doom just doesn’t feel intimidating to me, which is a major letdown.
I’m the kind of person who’s never seen a Fantastic Four movie that he didn’t like. And while First Steps is my favorite FF film, I greatly enjoyed the Chris Evans Fantastic Four movies, and even liked the Michael B. Jordan one…for the most part. The biggest weakness out of those aforementioned films was definitely Doctor Doom, as neither of those movies got the character right. I was hoping this trailer would change all of that for me, but it didn’t, and I’m kind of putting that squarely on RDJ's shoulders. There’s another reason why I’m not convinced that he’s the best choice.
I Don't Want Doctor Doom To Feel Connected To The Old MCU
I’ve been off the MCU hype train for a LONG time now, and a lot of that is because I don’t feel like the MCU has been adventurous enough lately. Sure, I’m the only person on the planet who loved Eternals - mostly because it was so adventurous - but I feel like the MCU has been going back to the tried-and-true well that is 2012's The Avengers a bit too much lately, and bringing back RDJ doesn't help.
I mean, bringing back Chris Evans as Cap seemed desperate enough, but bringing back Robert Downey Jr. still feels like we haven't gotten past 2008, when RDJ kickstarted the MCU with Iron Man, and that's the last thing I want.
I'm still kind of bummed that the MCU abandoned the Kang storyline, but if they were going to pivot to Doctor Doom, they should have AT LEAST started fresh. RDJ doesn't feel that way, though. It feels like we're languishing in the past. That said, maybe I just feel this way because I wanted another pick for Doctor Doom…
Maybe It's Just That I Still Wish We Got Mads Mikkelsen As Doctor Doom Instead
Okay, I'll be frank with you. Even before we were made aware that Doctor Doom was coming to the MCU, I had already dreamcasted Mads Mikkelsen in the role.
This isn't just a ME thing either, as Mikkelsen himself said he would like to play the character. He would literally be perfect for the role. I mentioned before how I don't find RDJ intimidating, but I find Mikkelsen terrifying in pretty much anything he does, so I could only imagine what he would be like as Doctor Doom.
So, perhaps I'm just unfairly comparing RDJ to Mads Mikkelsen, but unless the former blows me away as Heath Ledger did in The Dark Knight, I'll likely always believe that RDJ just wasn't the best choice for what is arguably Marvel's greatest antagonist.
