Robert Downey Jr. Says Marvel Has “Labored Long and Hard” to Make AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Worthy of ENDGAME

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has delivered plenty of films and Disney+ series since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, but none have managed to capture the same lightning-in-a-bottle feeling that those films created.

A big part of that comes down to the villain. Thanos wasn’t just another MCU bad guy. He was the emotional center of the story, a character audiences spent years building toward alongside heroes they had grown attached to.

The result was a pair of films that felt bigger than blockbuster entertainment. They became cultural events that left a lasting impression on fans.

Now the pressure falls on Robert Downey Jr., who is making his return to the MCU in a shocking new role as Doctor Doom. While some fans are thrilled to see him back in the Marvel universe, expectations are sky-high.

Not only does Avegners: Doomsdayneed to deliver another massive Avengers spectacle, it also needs to introduce a villain capable of standing alongside Thanos.

Downey is fully aware of that challenge. Speaking with CBR, the actor explained why Doomsday carries a unique level of responsibility compared to previous MCU projects:

“I think Doomsday, more than any [film] so far… just because I’ve now realized our tendency to be telling the story of the world while hiding behind the fact that, ‘No, we’re just telling superhero movies that you can enjoy!’

“But you’re only as good as your bad guy, tying Doomsday to Infinity War specifically. And again, the only thing everybody could rally around [in Infinity War] is, ‘You’re going to have to contend with Brolin.’”

That comparison to Thanos is impossible to ignore. Josh Brolin’s performance helped elevate Infinity War into something far more emotionally engaging than audiences expected from a comic book movie. Marvel now needs Doctor Doom to have that same kind of impact.

Downey went on to explain that he’s been approaching the project from a much broader perspective than simply focusing on his own performance.

“I’m quite odd in that I try to stay as removed from a subjective experience of things as I can. So, I try to think like the brothers. I try to feel like I’m in the writing room. I try to feel all that stuff. But eventually, there are so many big shoes to step into that just have to go, ‘What hasn’t been done as well as it can be done yet?’

“We’re always looking for that opportunity. And a lot of it has been… there’s some experimentation. We’ve had our moments of, ‘Let’s shift here.’ But we landed in a place that I think will more than suffice. And it’s not even about how I executed it. It’s about the way it’s been structured, and the other characters.

“There’s something going on in Doomsday and forward that is literally the only antidote to, ‘How do you not have these films be a letdown after an Infinity War and an Endgame?’ And boy, have we labored long and hard to bring that down.”

According to Downey, the creative team has been searching for a new approach that can push the MCU forward while avoiding the trap of feeling like a lesser version of Infinity War and Endgame.

The film certainly has a lot working in its favor. Along with Downey’s return, Marvel has assembled an enormous roster of characters, brought back the Russo Brothers to direct, and appears to be building a story with stakes that could surpass anything the franchise has attempted before.

Still, the challenge remains enormous. Infinity War and Endgame weren’t just successful because they were big. Fans cared deeply about what happened to the characters.

The victories, losses, sacrifices, and heartbreak landed because audiences had spent more than a decade invested in those heroes. When Thanos won in Infinity War, it genuinely shocked people. When the story reached its conclusion in Endgame, it felt earned.

That emotional connection is what Avengers: Doomsday will ultimately need to capture, and I’m not sure if they will actually pull it off.

Spectacle alone won’t be enough. Fans need a reason to care about what’s happening on screen, and Doctor Doom has to become more than just another powerful threat. If Downey can pull off a villain audiences become emotionally invested in, Marvel may have a real shot at delivering the next great Avengers event.

Based on his comments, that’s clearly the goal. And after years of development, rewrites, and planning, it sounds like Marvel knows exactly how much is riding on Avengers: Doomsday.