This Comic-Con, the news of Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has broken the internet, but fans around the world are calling this reveal both good and bad. Before Comic-Con, fans had already heard rumors of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man becoming Doctor Doom, but when this became an official reveal, fans were divided. Some say it’s good because Robert Downey Jr. was needed to bring Marvel back on track, while others argue that Marvel was so desperate that they killed RDJ’s Iron Man and had to bring him back. Some fans are unhappy with the treatment of Kang’s story, questioning whether Tony Stark is becoming Doctor Doom or if RDJ is actually Doctor Doom and not Tony Stark.

The prevailing thought among fans is that Robert Downey Jr. will bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe back on the right track. Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man is a fan favorite, and fans want nothing more than a glimpse of Iron Man post-Avengers Endgame. With some Marvel movies and series not making the impact they used to, this news of Robert Downey Jr.’s return reassures fans that good days are coming back. Before 2008, only three superheroes were known everywhere: Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman, but Robert Downey Jr. placed Iron Man above all of them. You might doubt the upcoming Superman movie, but you won’t doubt Avengers: Doomsday because Robert Downey Jr.’s name is associated with it. The mere announcement that Robert Downey Jr. is coming back as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday has made it clear that from the movie trailer to the box office, all records are going to be broken.

Many fans are also saying that bringing Robert Downey Jr. back is Marvel’s act of desperation. This has never happened before in 2023. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest-grossing franchise so far, a money-printing machine for Disney that has changed all of Hollywood. This single franchise has caused many genres to disappear. When Disney and Marvel first saw losses from Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, they realized something was wrong. After seeing continuous losses, they realized they needed to change their approach. However, bringing back Robert Downey Jr. or stopping Kang’s story is not a solution. Good writers are the solution. The studio should focus there, and that should be the big announcement.

Now, some fans also believe that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark variant becoming Doctor Doom is significant. After giving us a perfect Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, we are going to see a perfect Doctor Doom. Before, you could doubt Robert Downey Jr.’s performances, with many people saying that he just plays himself in the role of Tony Stark. But Robert Downey Jr. proved his acting chops with his performance in Oppenheimer, which not only pleased fans but also earned him an Academy Award. He has shown that he can play both a perfect superhero and a perfect villain.

Now, he is going to play Doctor Doom, one of Marvel’s biggest villains, which is perfect in many senses. You have more than one reason to celebrate Robert Downey Jr.’s return. If you are not satisfied with that, I would recommend Robert Downey Jr.’s The Sympathizer. Check there if he is perfect for playing Doctor Doom. Some fans also believe that Doctor Doom’s original story arc is better, so it will be harmed. It’s true, Doctor Doom is an iconic Marvel villain. Before 2008’s Iron Man, people knew Doctor Doom more than Iron Man. Doctor Doom’s comic book has many iconic arcs, and fans are happy with RDJ’s announcement and the fact that what Doctor Doom did in Secret Wars might be seen in the movie.

Some fans are concerned that if Robert Downey Jr. plays Doctor Doom in one or two movies, anyone else playing Doctor Doom afterward won’t bring the essence that should be there. Doctor Doom is not a one-and-done villain; he is an iconic villain whom we have seen against the Fantastic Four in movies like Fantastic Four and Rise of the Silver Surfer. Now we need to see Doctor Doom against MCU characters, so assuming RDJ’s portrayal of Doctor Doom makes sense and is plot-relevant, it’s okay. But if RDJ directly becomes Doctor Doom and just plays him in Secret Wars, it won’t have the same impact, and the character will be ruined for the future.

Marvel could have introduced Doctor Doom with a new actor post-Endgame and created good hype like they did for Kang. Suddenly ending Kang’s story is not good. Marvel should have recast Kang and continued on that path. The actor playing Kang, Jonathan Majors, indeed gave a fantastic performance every time, but after last year’s controversy, Marvel decided to remove him, and then they completely changed Kang’s story in Loki. Although it turned out better, and Marvel scrapped the Kang Dynasty movie along with Kang’s story. However, the reason for stopping Kang’s story midway was not just Jonathan Majors’ controversy; Marvel and Disney executives expected good box office numbers from Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, but when it didn’t perform well post-release, executives decided not to continue with Kang. Jonathan Majors’ controversy was just adding fuel to the fire. Even then, the real problem with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania was the story. If the story had been better, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania could have brought the box office numbers that executives were expecting just like Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.

After so many divided opinions, the question remains whether RDJ’s return is good news. The current narrative is that only Robert Downey Jr. can bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe back to the height he left it at. Marvel has faced back-to-back losses. Fans were not happy with the story of Doctor Strange in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, and Disney Plus series like Secret Invasion. So, to fix all this, Marvel didn’t just call back Robert Downey Jr.; they also brought back the original team. Along with Robert Downey Jr., the Russo brothers, who directed Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame, are coming back. Along with them, the real heroes, the writers of The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, Stephen McFeely, are also important.

This discussion should be significant for those fans who are not very happy with the return of Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo brothers. It’s not just about a star’s return; the star will bring people back to theaters, but the writer will ensure that the field from which the audience became fans is restored, and the director will execute this. If even this does not alleviate fans’ dissatisfaction, Alan Silvestri, who directed the music for The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, is also coming back.

RDJ’s return is indeed good news. It’s time to celebrate.