Robert Downey Jr is making his comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but this time he won't be reprising his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark. Instead, he will portray the classic Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom in "Avengers: Doomsday".

Joe and Anthony Russo are also returning to Marvel to direct two new "Avengers" movies. The duo is set to helm "Doomsday" which will introduce Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom, and "Avengers: Secret Wars".

Downey's return as the villainous Victor von Doom came as a huge surprise to fans worldwide, including the enthusiastic audience at Marvel's San Diego Comic-Con presentation - where the news of his return was delivered in a dramatic flair. He made this triumphant appearance at Hall H on Saturday evening.

Downey's reveal was almost ceremonial, with about two dozen men in olive robes and metal masks resembling Doctor Doom joining Feige and the Russo Brothers on stage. "If we're going to bring Doctor Doom to the screen — he is one of the most complex and entertaining characters in all of fiction," said Joe Russo. "To do this, we need the greatest actor in the world."

He continued, "As proof of the boundless possibilities within the Marvel Universe, we present the one person capable of playing Victor von Doom..."

A masked man in a green suit then stepped forward and revealed himself to be Downey, standing proudly and ready to receive the adulation. The response was immediate,audiences were erupting in cheers and excitement after the sudden reveal. 

"Avengers: Doomsday" is scheduled to hit theatres in May 2026. 

 Downey gained popularity as the playboy super-genius Tony Stark in 2008's "Iron Man", the inaugural film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe created by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. 

Over the next 11 years, Downey reprised the role in 10 Marvel films, including "Iron Man 2", "Iron Man 3", "The Incredible Hulk", "The Avengers", "Captain America: Civil War", "Avengers: Age of Ultron", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", "Avengers: Infinity War", and "Avengers: Endgame".

The announcement of Downey playing Victor von Doom caps off a remarkable year for the actor. In March, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer." 

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Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man bids farewell to MCU

More recently, Downey appeared in Park Chan-wook's HBO mini-series "The Sympathizer", portraying CIA operative Claude and several other characters, earning an Emmy nomination for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Anthology.