MCU fans are excited about Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom, but fans of Doom have some concerns.
There is only one Doom.
That statement remains true, despite the fact thatVictor von Doomoften employs Doombots as his decoys.
And it remains true, despite the fact that several actors have portrayed him on screen.
Or it might be a desperate grasp at relevance, more crass and cloying than anything inDeadpool & Wolverine.
Either way, the casting is unbecoming of Doctor Doom, the greatest villain in the history of fiction.
I found it… beneath me.
Hes a character with a ridiculous name who wears a green tunic over his metal armor.
Rather it comes from high drama and operatic stakes on the level of myths and legends.
Rather it shows that Doctor Doom actually took good care of them.
Doctor Doom, for all of his bluster and self-importance, is right in a certain sense.
Based purely on the living standards of his subjects, he is a good ruler.
At the same time, Dooms arrogance cannot be understated, especially in relation to Reed Richards.
Thus whatever good Doom could do is constantly undermined by his endless jealousy of Richards.
In short, Doom is at once diabolical and noble, tragic and evil.
Hes also so much more.
Hes a rich character, encompassing everything great about supervillains.
Doom demonstrates the amazing possibilities of telling stories through an outrageous superhero lens.
Which means that he needs to be treated with more care than the average baddie.
That excitement makes sense.
Avengers: Doomsdaymight end up being a big sloppy mess.
However,Avengers: Doomsdaycould also be a towering success.
It could be a rich, emotional superhero movie, anchored by Robert Downey Jr. at his best.
The movie had flat acting, poor effects, and a haphazard plot.
But anyone watching the movie will see just Downey or Tony Stark.
Thats fine for a standard multiverse story, but not for Doctor Doom.
Especially if this ends up being the only time we see Doom in the MCU.
A character of Dooms potential and moral shadings should span phases, not two-parters.
Doom is second to no man, not even Tony Stark, not even Robert Downey Jr.
