Why Is Robert Downey Jr. As Doctor Doom So Disappointing?

As my colleague Eric Switzer wrote ultimate month, Marvel had to placed on a super appearing at this 12 months’s SDCC to guarantee enthusiasts that the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to be value getting excited for. After a chain of field place of work disasters, a basic sense of ‘superhero film fatigue’, and having to fireplace its superstar villain Jonathan Majors from his position as Kang after he used to be convicted for third-degree attack and annoyed harassment, Disney is having to run main harm regulate.

Whether or not or now not you assume its panel used to be a luck or now not, it used to be for sure a stunning one in no less than one recognize: the Russo brothers can be returning to direct the following two Avengers films, that have had identify adjustments and can not focus on Kang. As a substitute, the point of interest is now on Physician Doom. The actual shocker right here used to be that the villain can be performed through none instead of Robert Downey Jr., who’s inexplicably returning to the MCU after securing his freedom from Disney with the loss of life of Iron Guy in Avengers: Endgame.

Wonder’s dependence on nostalgia this is unusual, and this flip is extremely disappointing for individuals who were keeping track of Robert Downey Jr.’s occupation. It’s jaw-dropping that when leveraging his Wonder-bestowed popularity and cash to paintings on cool, severely lauded initiatives like Oppenheimer and The Sympathizer, RDJ is solely going to return to Wonder. I’m appalled.

Whilst the response to the disclose within the room itself appeared jubilant – simply concentrate to the screaming and roaring within the video as RDJ gets rid of his masks – what’s in particular attention-grabbing about this announcement used to be the quick fan backlash.

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What’s Fallacious With Physician Doom?

Physician Doom’s place as Wonder’s new large dangerous does make sense – in any case, the Unbelievable 4 film is bobbing up, and he’s identified for being their archenemy, along having more than one beefs with almost everyone within the identified universe. It’s the casting that’s extra frightening to enthusiasts. To not point out Ralph Ineson’s Galactus may be set to play a big position within the movie too, so the place does this determination go away him?

Some have stated that they really feel RDJ’s go back takes away the meaningfulness of Tony Stark’s loss of life, or that it issues to Wonder’s inventive chapter that it may well’t deliver one of the most MCU’s largest villains to the large display screen with out attaching one in all its maximum a success actors from the franchise. You must simply interpret the selection to lean on nostalgia and affection for RDJ on Wonder’s phase as being a determined try to make sure enthusiasts proceed to care and get other people into the cinemas on opening night time, as the loads develop more and more disinterested.

It seems like Disney is making choices according to what enthusiasts gets maximum fascinated about and now not what is going to in fact make the franchise excellent or attention-grabbing, which is par for the direction. RDJ is one in all Wonder’s most well liked stars, he’s coming off an Oscar win for his nice efficiency in Oppenheimer, and he’s been severely lauded for his 5 adversarial roles in The Sympathizer, directed through liked Korean auteur Park Chan-wook. His superstar energy promises that enthusiasts will take understand, and it’s labored – nevertheless it seems like an inexpensive shot.

Some enthusiasts have additionally raised sadness that Physician Doom’s backstory isn’t being correctly said. Victor Von Doom canonically grew up in a Romani tribe, and that tough upbringing is a sturdy motivator for his later movements. Maximum movie interpretations of Physician Doom have overlooked this, and RDJ’s casting signifies that this background is most probably going to be driven apart as soon as once more.

Downey Doom May Be Fascinating, However It Received’t Be

Understandably, theories are already swirling across the arguable casting selection. Some assume that Physician Doom will in fact be a Tony Stark variant, as portrayed in a What If? Comic from 2010 or Earth-5012’s version of Stark. This isn’t a stretch in any way – in any case, we simply noticed Hugh Jackman go back as another timeline Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine. Wonder’s already arrange a multiversal throughline, and it is sensible that it will proceed to capitalise at the narrative paintings it is completed to this point.

It’s unclear if that is in fact the case, or even this concept is irking some enthusiasts who imagine Doom will have to have had his personal tale, as an alternative of being a ramification of Iron Guy. Individually, I feel it is usually a very attention-grabbing interpretation if completed proper – I believe the more moderen, extra various technology of heroes symbolically killing the older technology, clearing the way in which for an MCU in any case freed from the roots that cling it again.

However I don’t imagine this may occasionally occur. In follow, what we’re more likely to get from this gained’t be thematically complicated sufficient to provide critics pause – Wonder will simply capitalise on nostalgia, and it gained’t wish to chance dropping its maximum unswerving enthusiasts through severing ties with older heroes. I want to be stunned, however as same old, I’m now not going to get my hopes up relating to Wonder. Being attention-grabbing is dangerous, and the corporate has to this point confirmed it’s now not keen to take that chance.

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