Kevin Feige Spoke to Robert Downey Jr. for Doctor Doom Even Before Ant-Man 3

by

Kevin Feige recently talked about Marvel Studios’ changing strategies for their next significant villain in the Multiverse Saga and beyond. In a recent press interview, he shared insights into why Kang the Conqueror was initially swapped out, the emergence of Doctor Doom as the primary antagonist, and how the Fox acquisition influenced the MCU’s future course.

Kevin Feige explains why Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom had to replace Kang

In relation to Jonathan Majors’ legal issues, Kevin Feige stated, “Before these events involving the actor, we were already starting to understand that Kang…wasn’t Thanos.” He went on to say, “There was only one character who could fill this role because he had been this character in the comics for many years and due to the Fox acquisition, we finally had him, and that’s Dr. Doom.” (Deadline)

Kevin Feige mentioned that even before Jonathan Majors faced legal troubles, it was becoming clear that Kang wasn’t Thanos. He explained that there was only one character who could take on this role because he had been the character in comics for a long time and due to the acquisition of Fox, we finally have him, and that character is Dr. Doom. (Deadline)

Before the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in 2023, it was already being discussed behind the scenes that Dr. Doom might take over from Kang. Feige mentioned, “We had actually begun discussing Dr. Doom even before we fully switched our focus from Kang.” Furthermore, he shared that conversations about this bold concept with Robert Downey Jr. had already started prior to the release of Ant-Man 3.

The merger between Disney and Fox enabled a change in villain strategies, granting Marvel control over characters they hadn’t had before. As Feige put it, “It was great to have those characters back, specifically the X-Men.” He highlighted that Dr. Doom would significantly contribute to upcoming Avengers movies such as Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Marvel Studios is focusing more on a smaller number of superior projects, with less interconnection among movies and television shows. Kevin Feige discussed delaying Blade’s production to revise its script and confirmed that it continues in development, featuring Mahershala Ali and set in the contemporary era.

First Steps” – which Feige referred to as a standalone film that doesn’t require any prior knowledge – marks the beginning of Phase Six in Marvel Cinematic Universe. Feige outlined Marvel’s plan up until 2032 and mentioned upcoming titles such as “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “Avengers: Doomsday,” and “Secret Wars.

Read More

2025-07-21 07:40