10 Other Comics Characters Robert Downey Jr. Should Play After Doctor Doom

Cilian Murphy is almost synonymous with this role after he perfectly embodied the cerebral villainy of Jonathan Crane in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy. Being a vengeful, dark-witted villain that thrives on fear and chaos, Scarecrow doesn’t seem to have much in common with Tony Stark.

However, a deeper look at the character reveals many similarities to the multilayered character traits that Robert Downey Jr likes to bring to life. He even pitched himself for the role in the Batman Trilogy to Christopher Nolan in the early 2000s, but Murphy landed the role instead. However, with the reboot of DC comics, there is still room for RDJ to finally portray one of Batman’s deadliest adversaries if he ever wants to.

Stan Edgar is another morally ambiguous comics character with many facets that is perfectly suited for Robert Downey Jr. Although Giancarlo Esposito brought out the best of the character in The Boys, he is unlikely to reprise the role in the upcoming spinoffs of the franchise.

The ruthless boss of Vought Enterprises, who manufactures and utilizes superheroes for profit, is likely to appear in one form or another in the upcoming spinoffs of The Boys franchise, though. After proving his ability to portray ultimate villainy in corporate boardrooms as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, Stan Edgar would be a perfect non-superhuman role for RDJ.

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Booster Gold would be the perfect role for RDJ to play if he ever wants to become the DCU’s Tony Stark. The character embodies the silly but heroic traits of Tony Stark, but on a larger scale. He starts his superhero career as an imposter who travels from the 25th century and starts using his knowledge of future events and the advanced technology he brings with him to gain fame as a superhero.

However, his redemption arc through the comics has made him the type of character that RDJ enjoys playing, including the exposure of his vulnerability that is quite similar to Tony Stark. He would humanize Michael Jon “Booster” Carter’s ego coupled with stupidity, turning him into the ultimate inventor and protector that relies on advanced technology for DC.

Created by Mike Allred, Image Comics’s Madman (Frank Einstein) is one of the most interesting comic characters of the new generation. Raised from the dead through scientific experiments, Einstein is a complete superhero with both physical and mystical powers, but most importantly, the ego and charm that suits RDJ.

However, the best aspect of his life is how he bosses his way through problems, not minding the fact that he doesn’t always have full control of his powers. His corporate image has everything that Robert Downey Jr. did with Tony Stark in the early days. Playing the character would be a great chance for RDJ to reinvent himself in another role away from mainstream comic franchises.

If RDJ can be the colossal big bad of the MCU, then nothing stops him from becoming the closest thing that DC has to Dr. Doom. RDJ enjoys being at the center of the action, which makes Brainiac, being one of Superman’s greatest enemies, a well-suited role for him. Like Doom, Brainiac is an imposing genius obsessed with knowledge and science, except he prefers to catalog all of it in himself and wipe out civilizations while he’s at it.

Previous portrayals of the character have failed to humanize him with the cynicism that he deserves, a job Robert Downey Jr. would be good at. Playing another cold, calculating villain with an endless thirst to dominate worlds like a god would also be a great addition to RDJ’s long list of iconic roles.

The Question remains one of the most underrated DC superheroes, just like Victor Von Doom was in the MCU. He is the ultimate combination of a naturally talented investigative journalist and a superhero with a mixture of powers that haven’t been fully exploited. Casting Robert Downy Jr. in the role would give the revamped DC comics the opportunity to forge a whole new path with endless possibilities for one of their fan-favorite superheroes.

Unlike Tony Stark, The Question isn’t a billionaire inventor, but he is also interested in protecting people by solving mysteries and taking down the greatest threats to humanity. Despite being associated with multiple DC characters in the past, none of them has ever embodied the character. With recent versions of The Question having improved powers, including teleportation, Robert Downey Jr. in the role would feel like a super-powered version of Tony Stark.

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The X-Men seem to be the future of the MCU, after several members of the Fox franchise, including Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, were positively received by fans into the Sacred Universe. If Robert Downey Jr. is reinvented in the franchise, then Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essax) would be a befitting X-Men role for his qualities.

Despite being one of the best comic characters ever created, Nathaniel Essex remains one of the least explored X-Men characters. He is portrayed in the comics as an immortal villain obsessed with creating the perfect human race through the manipulation of the X-Gene. His scientific acumen and ever-changing look through his clones make him a great candidate for RDJ to advance his talent of bringing flawed comic characters to life.

General Zod is another DC villain that is in desperate need of reinvention from the traditional grim-faced zealot that he has been previously portrayed as. Adding a few more layers to the character with some Shakespearean gravitas and a political gray line, which Robert Downey Jr. excels at, would turn him into a far better villain.

General Zod, reborn as a fallen idealist rather than just an outright villain, would change his relationship with Superman and make him the center of attraction in the DCU. With everything about the franchise being reinvented, this could be the perfect surprise role for RDJ to pick up next.

Mephisto is one of the oldest and most powerful Marvel Supervillains, and whose absence from the MCU is still baffling. He is the master of seduction, trickery, and blackmail, who always manipulates superheroes into buying into the Devil’s bargain, often at the cost of their souls. His previous appearances have seen him defeat the likes of Spider-Man and Ghost Rider with ease.

Like Dr. Doom, Mephisto is a cosmic-level supervillain with a blinding level of cruelty and villainous sarcasm who is powerful enough to test even the most powerful comic characters, including Galactus. RDJ has already proved that he has the charm and dark humor that would humanize Mephisto. Moreover, his commanding presence and signature smirk would turn the character into one of the most Charming on-screen demons ever.

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This would be the masterstroke of subversion, which is why it would be great. There have been endless reinventions of Bruce Wayne, with each actor in the role bringing out a different version of the character. While we have seen most versions of the superhero, none of them have embodied the charisma with which Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man connected the other superheroes in the MCU for decades.

If the reinvented DCU ever needed a central figure who would defeat the bad guys with a smile, making every other superhero around him feel renewed, then RDJ would be the dream casting in that role. RDJ already has the grim face and gravitas to bring Bruce Wayne’s character to life, so it wouldn’t take much for him to fit into the role.