Like Thanos himself, Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been inevitable. But few expected it would go down like this.


On this day, Rodaju appeared at the event wearing the green cape and mask of Doctor Doom in the comics and said, “New mask, same task.”


An unexpected move. ‘Avengers founding father’ Robert Downey Jr. (Rodaju, 59) will return to Marvel as a new villain, not ‘Iron Man.’


The new series of ‘Avengers’ that announced Rodaju’s return is scheduled to be released in May 2026 and May 2027, and will be directed by the Russo brothers who worked on the previous series. It feels like all the fans who have shared the glory of Marvel for 10 years have returned to the MCU with Robert Downey Jr.


According to the Associated Press and American entertainment media Variety on the 28th (local time), Rodaju announced at the Comic-Con event held in San Diego, USA the previous evening that he would return as the new villain 'Doctor Doom' in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) 'Avengers' series.


The Russo brothers also described his return as "proof that Marvel's multi-universe is capable of unimaginable things," and the anticipation is enormous.


Up until now, Rodaju's return to the MCU has been something that many fans have been hoping for and a hot topic in the industry. Rodaju has been loved for playing the character for 11 years since the 2008 film 'Iron Man', and has created the most popular character in the Marvel series. In the 2019 movie 'Avengers: Endgame', Iron Man died and left Marvel, but there were many rumors of his return, and Rodaju also emphasized several times that "it is so important as part of my DNA", so I think that Rodaju accepted this work because he knew the fans' desires better than anyone else.


However, Rodaju's way of returning from the best hero to the worst villain was shocking (to the fans) beyond shock. It is bound to be shocking news for fans who have loved Rodabu's 'Iron Man', but there is also anticipation for his transformation as he has deep inner strength. Whether he can become the savior of Marvel, which is going through a time of crisis after 'Avengers: Endgame', is highly anticipated. This is another reason to live long.