Robert Downey Jr. is officially returning for 4 upcoming Marvel projects, and probably a 5th too

2019 was arguably the last time there was any consensus within the Marvel fanbase. Avengers: Endgame was the best way to send off some of its flagship characters.

Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. said goodbye to Steve Rogers and Tony Stark respectively, who had been founding members of The Avengers ensemble team. Steve has a poignant goodbye as he elects to return to the past and reunite with his true love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). This send-off was emotional, but the most heartwrenching of these farewells belonged to Tony. In the interim years following The Snap, Tony created a family with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), an event that made him luckier than most. But in the final battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin), Tony makes the ultimate sacrifice. Knowing that it will kill him, Tony dons the Infinity Gauntlet, uttering his iconic catchphrase.

Endgame was the best conclusion for the character, and it seemed nothing would drag Downey Jr. back into the MCU fold. Nothing short of a salary was increase, at least. But during the complicated aftermath of the Kang saga, Downey Jr. is in fact returning as an iconic figure.

Every upcoming Robert Downey Jr. Marvel project

During San Diego Comic-Con, Downey Jr. surprised everyone by revealing he would be taking on the mantle of Dr. Victor von Doom, the classic adversary to the Fantastic Four. With the addition of Marvel’s Multiverse, playing these two characters is easily explainable. And though there is some controversy with the Doctor Doom casting, it isn’t hard to see how Marvel executives came to this conclusion. After building up an entire arc around Kang the Conqueror only for it to go up in flames with Jonathan Majors’ arrest, the MCU needed a selling point that would bring fans to theaters. Downey Jr. is certainly capable of playing the villain, and it would be a change of pace for the charismatic performer.

The Sherlock Holmes actor has been confirmed for the aptly titled Avengers: Doomsday, but Marvel hasn’t stopped there. Once again putting all their eggs in the villain basket, Downey Jr. has many commitments for the brand coming up. Joining forces once again with the Russo Brothers, Downey Jr. will reportedly portray Doom in the upcoming Secret Wars (via The Direct). The film is the highly anticipated adaptation of the famous Marvel comic, which was teased in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Downey Jr. is also reported to return to Tony Stark in the form of a Marvel theme park. The King Thanos Multiverse ride is coming to Disneyland, and will allegedly feature Tony Stark in a timeline in which Thanos never plagued Earth. This storyline would mean that Tony never died in one of the many realities that the ride visits. Officially titled Avengers Infinity Defense, Downey Jr. should be representing the Tony character for the ride.

Tony will also appear in another ride called Stark Flight Lab. Also at Disneyland, theme park goers will find themselves in a ride that resembles Tony’s lab testing station. Fans should be excited to experience Downey Jr. in his original role once again, but the big question is whether he will appear in the most anticipated Marvel project of 2026.

Finally, the MCU will be inducting the Fantastic Four into the canon, with filming underway. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) have all been cast in the upcoming film. Galactus seems to be the overarching villain, but many are wondering if their iconic villain, Doom, will make an appearance with Downey Jr. in the driver’s seat. There is no confirmation of this possibility at this point, but it would be a crying shame to have Fantastic Four: First Steps not involve the dictator of Latveria. Until confirmation arrives, viewers can catch Avengers: Doomsday when it arrives in 2026.