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Marvel movies have sparked never-ending discourse and debate over the last several years. Does the MCU make good films or trashy entertainment? Will the franchise ever recover from its post-Phase Three nosedive? Is Bob Iger an evil capitalist?
The studio animated the news cycle once again thanks to a surprising announcement at San Diego Comic-Con last month. During the Marvel panel, a man walked out on stage wearing a Doctor Doom costume. He took his mask off to reveal that the person behind the disguise was none other than Robert Downey Jr., who will play the famous villain in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars films.
Though the announcement was met with raucous applause at the panel, the response online has been far from unanimous.
In fact, a poll on the r/marvelstudios subreddit shows just how contentious the casting has been. At the time of this writing, 44.5% of users said casting Downey was the right move, while 55.5% said it was the wrong one.
There are several reasons why many are opposed to the casting. The first has to do with economics. It was reported that Downey will make “significantly more” than $80 million for his role, a payday many reacted to with disgust.
On X, an industry worker replied to the news by sharing that he “made $12.50 an hour working 70+ hours a week on Black Panther Wakanda Forever.” Another user noted that Downey’s salary makes Disney CEO Bob Iger’s claim that they couldn’t pay to meet SAG’s “reasonable demands” look even more foolish. Some worried his paycheck would siphon money away from other Marvel projects.
Others had concerns about accurate representation. Though he’s from the fictional country of Latveria, Doctor Doom is canonically Romani, and his cultural heritage is a significant part of the character. Some fans, aware of Doom’s backstory in the comics, balked at the idea of yet another non-Romani actor playing a Romani character.
One of the biggest criticisms among longtime Marvel fans, particularly on Reddit, is that casting Downey in the role “reeks of desperation,” and is “just shock value.” One fan called the move “uninspired,” while another wrote that “[Marvel Studios President Kevin] Feige lost his fucking mind.”
Many were concerned about what the casting means for the narrative. One possibility is that Downey will play a variant of Tony Stark, ie. a version of the character that exists in a different timeline (one where he didn’t die). Some think this could be an interesting direction, while others argue that it would be a disservice to such a compelling character.
There are still plenty of fans who are optimistic. One fan on Reddit wrote, “Imma just let rdj cook,” while another suggested, “People are pissed but I promise you once we see him on screen, he will kill it.” Downey has plenty of fans who are excited to watch him in anything he’s in, and some see it as a gift for those who were devastated by Stark’s earth in Endgame. One fan noted how joyful it was to experience the announcement as a collective: “I think most of us missed moments in fandom like this,” they wrote.
Others argued that we should reserve judgment until the film comes out because it’s “too early to tell” how things will turn out. On Reddit, some fans were annoyed by all the whining. “Do you understand how amazing it is and how lucky we are to get to see these movies and be a part of this experience today?” wrote a lifelong comic-book reader in an impassioned post.
Still, such enthusiasm isn’t enough to drown out the cynicism that has taken hold of the fandom recently.
Why it matters
The MCU is an unprecedented moneymaking operation with a devoted fanbase, and they’re certainly not going away anytime soon. But fans have become more skeptical of corporate business practices and the ethos of quantity over quality, causing some of these passions to wane.
Downey’s casting will likely get butts in seats, but will his Doctor Doom capture the hearts and minds of a nation? Maybe in an alternate universe.
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