Robert Downey Jr. dramatically reveals his return to Marvel in a shocking new role

Robert Downey Jr. has stunned fans with the news that he is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The 59-year-old actor will play the role of villain Doctor Doom in a new Avengers film titled Avengers: Doomsday.

The Oppenheimer star surprised audiences at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday night (July 27) when he was dramatically unveiled in his new role during a Marvel panel.

Downey Jr. stepped out of a row of figures wearing similar masks on stage and removed his silver mask, much to the delight of the audience.

“New mask, same job,” he declared triumphantly after it was announced he would play Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers installment.

The actor is of course no stranger to the MCU, having first appeared as Iron Man in 2008. He reprised the role in 10 Marvel films over the next 11 years before leaving the franchise in 2019 after Avengers: Endgame.

In recent interviews, Downey Jr. has said he would “love” to return to Marvel, saying, “It’s too integral a part of my DNA.”

However, fans assumed that if he ever returned, he would naturally reprise his role as the playboy genius Tony Stark, aka Iron Man – which ended in 2019 Avengers: Endgame.

The news that Downey Jr. would be playing the role of villain Victor von Doom came as a huge surprise.

That said, it didn’t come completely out of the blue. Last December, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige insisted that the Iron Man storyline was over for good. Feige told Vanity Fair that he had no interest in influencing the character’s emotional exodus.

Avengers: DoomsdayThe film, which has yet to be released, will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who are also returning to Marvel.

The duo – who have directed four MCU films, including 2019’s mega-hit Avengers: Endgame – also appeared at Comic-Con on Saturday (July 27).

“When we were directing Avengers: Endgame“Joe and I really believed this was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Russo told fans at the event.

“In the time since then, Joe and I have come to the conclusion, through a very special story, that together with you we can find a possible way forward.”

There were plenty more spectacular moments during the Marvel panel, which kicked off with a rollicking Deadpool chorus, inspired by the recently released Deadpool and Wolverine, According to Feige, this is the box office record for the highest-grossing R-rated film ever.

Although it was released to mediocre reviews, Deadpool and Wolverine has had the biggest domestic box office opening of the year, taking in $96 million (£74 million) on Friday (July 26) at the US box office, the sixth-biggest opening day of all time.