No offense to Mr. Downey's face
Why Robert Downey Jr. wants to play Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, announced last Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con, would have been a surprise any way you slice it. But the fact that he's not returning to play Iron Man, the founder of the Avengers, but to play Doctor Doom, archenemy of the Fantastic Four, is almost baffling.
One question has been particularly loud in the wake of the news: How can Downey Jr. play Doom when everyone in the MCU is already familiar with his face as Tony Stark? Sure, Marvel Comics has Tony Stark become Doctor Doom, and Victor von Doom has become Iron Man. That's a 60-year, continuously running comic book continuity, my friend. Who hasn't been Doctor Doom or Iron Man? Pretty sure I was Iron Man for an issue or two in 1989.
But there is a really simple answer to this question. It's an obvious step towards getting Doctor Doom right, but it's something Hollywood has steadfastly refused to do until now.
