Marvel stars including Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Mackie, and Mark Ruffalo react to Robert Downey Jr.'s return to MCU as Doctor Doom

Marvel Cinematic Universe stars react to Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. During the San Diego Comic Con on Saturday, July 27, 2024, it was announced that Downey is set to portray iconic villain Victor Von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom, in the next two Avengers movies.

The actor, who played Iron Man in the franchise, emerged onstage donning a green suit with a Doctor Doom mask and announced:

"New mask, same task. What did I tell ya? I like playing complicated characters."

Additionally, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed directors Anthony and Joe Russo are set to direct the films titled Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

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"Green suits you"— Mark Ruffalo and other Marvel stars react to Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom announcement

Downey played the genius billionaire Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, in the Marvel movies. The character sacrificed himself to save the universe in Avengers: Endgame. Doctor Doom is another genius billionaire who appears as the supervillain in the Fantastic Four comics.

News of Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU as the supervillain was met with an uproar. Former and current members of the franchise, too, shared their reactions.

1) Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow, who appeared opposite Downey as Iron Man's girlfriend (later wife) Pepper Potts in seven films, addressed his return under his Instagram post with the comment:

"I don't get it, are you a baddie now?"

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2) Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo, who played fellow avenger and scientist Bruce Banner, a.k.a. Hulk, shared a cheeky pop-culture response. He commented:

"Hey Brat, green suits you."

Brat is referring to Charli XCX's latest studio album, which was met with wide critical acclaim. The album's cover featured the word "brat" on a green background.

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3) Zoë Saldaña

Later, the Sherlock Holmes actor and the Russo brothers shared a collaborative Instagram post captioned:

"The Secret (Wars) is out... Starring @robertdowneyjr. Written by Stephen McFeely. Produced by @agbofilms."

Under the post, Saldaña, who played Gamora in Guradians of the Galaxy, responded with a series of clapping emoji. Whereas Frank Grillo, who plays a Hydra agent in several MCU films, reacted with fire emojis, adding, "Amazing."

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4) Florence Pugh

Pugh, who won hearts by playing Yelena Belova in 2021’s Black Widow, shared her reaction to the news in an interview with Variety at SD Comic Con. The 28-year-old actress was shocked and quipped that the crowd would have gone insane during the reveal.

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5) Sebastian Stan

Stan was introduced into the franchise as Bucky Barnes (who later becomes the Winter Soldier). The actor told Variety on the red carpet at SDCC that he initially did not believe Robert Downey Jr. was attending the event. He explained that everyone found out about the reveal on the spot, adding that "it was surreal."

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6) Anthonie Mackie

When the new face of Captain America found out about Robert Downey Jr.'s new role in the MCU, he told the Hollywood Reporter, "I better kill him first." When questioned if there could be a big showdown between the two characters in the cards, he stated:

"Hell, yeah. He's gonna pull a hamstring or something. I'm gonna take him down. I am not going lightly into this dark night."

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Other notable celebrity reactions to Robert Downey Jr. being cast as Doctor Doom

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo too commented under Downey's post, saying, "We’ve always said green is your color..." Tennis legend Serena Williams took to her Instagram stories to state she is "overwhelmed with joy" and even jokingly asked Marvel to cast her as "Doomette."

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Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to release in May 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars next year.