Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Voice Gave the Russo Brothers an Iron Man Level MCU Moment
When Robert Downey Jr. steps into a Marvel role, he has a way of creating moments that stick with people. Fans have spent a long time wondering what his version of Doctor Doom will sound like in Avengers: Doomsday, and it turns out the first people to hear it were just as blown away as the rest of us when we heard it in the trailer.
According to directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, the first time Downey revealed Doom's voice became one of those unforgettable MCU memories. In fact, Joe Russo puts it in the same category as Tony Stark's legendary "I am Iron Man" snap from Avengers: Endgame.
Following Marvel Studios' Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, the Russo Brothers spoke with People about the moment Downey finally unveiled the voice he'd been developing for Victor Von Doom.
Anthony Russo explained that they had spent plenty of time discussing every aspect of the character before they ever heard Downey perform it.
“That was something that Robert surprised us with one day. You know, we were talking about all the details of the character — the voice, of course, is a key part of it, especially in the mask.”
Those conversations covered everything from Doom's mindset to the expectations that come with bringing one of Marvel's greatest villains to life. They also talked about why Downey was the right actor to take on such an iconic role.
Then, during what sounded like a relaxed brainstorming session inside a trailer, Downey suddenly slipped into the voice he'd been working on.
Anthony remembered the reaction being immediate. “We knew at that moment, that was it.” Joe Russo said hearing it for the first time gave him chills, and he didn't hesitate to compare it to one of the defining moments in MCU history.
“I mean, it was one of those moments. It’d probably be one of the more memorable moments — that and the ‘I Am Iron Man’ [sequence] when he snapped his fingers. Robert tends to present a lot of those super memorable moments.”
That's a pretty incredible comparison considering how important Tony Stark's final scene in Endgame became for Marvel fans. If the Russos are putting Doctor Doom's voice reveal in that same conversation, that’s interesting.
It's still fascinating to think that the actor who launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark is now stepping into the armor of one of Marvel's greatest villains. It’s going to be really intweresting to see how his story arc plays out over the course of the time he’s in the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18.