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As divisive as the announcement of Robert Downey Jr.’s role in Avengers: Doomsday was, the casting reveal has nonetheless got us thinking about which other Disney villains he could portray.
The actor — who revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that he’d be returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom — has become synonymous with Iron Man, but his upcoming role as one of Marvel’s biggest villains could outline a new trajectory for other Disney projects.
Granted, the argument could be made that perhaps Downey should steer clear of Disney and Marvel altogether, especially since his performances outside of those studios in films like Oppenheimer have led to great post-Iron Man success. But if there’s even one more Disney movie Downey should be recruited for, it’s the Russo Brothers’ upcoming live-action remake of Hercules.
For those not in the know (I guess a Disney reboot isn’t all that surprising, anyway), the Russo Brothers announced some time ago that a live-action version of the original 1997 animation is in development, with Guy Ritchie on board to direct. While any other details have remained scarce — so far we only know that the duo are “waiting on a script” — that hasn’t stopped fans (and this writer) from suggesting their picks for who should form the cast.
That’s where Downey comes in. Consider this an official manifestation of Robert Downey Jr. as Hades in the Hercules remake. For a refresher, Hades is the central antagonist of the 1997 animation; a God of the underworld who turns Hercules into a half-God, half-mortal. The case for Downey to portray the villain is based on a few things: the first being his recent casting as Doctor Doom.
Depending on his performance in that role, Downey’s acting chops as a villain could serve him well as the character of Hades. What’s more, we’ve already had a taste of Downey’s ability to pull off snarky quips as Tony Stark, qualities he shares with the fast-talking, short-tempered and at-time comical Hades. We’ve seen comedic actors like Mellissa McCarthy also successfully pull off villain roles in Disney remakes, which could spell similar success for Downey.
This is perhaps a less complimentary reason for him to be cast, but, in a certain way, Downey also resembles Hades. Before you rush to the comments (for the record, this writer thinks Downey is extremely hot), the actor’s longer face-shape could be a nice canvas for a Hades re-creation, and who wouldn’t want to see him with that infamous mohawk haircut?
Add in the fact that Downey has proven musical chops from Ally McBeal and his casting history with the Russo Brothers and you’ve got a pretty convincing case for the actor as Disney’s next big bad. Of course, we aren’t the only ones putting his name forward for the role, with Downey named on some forums alongside fellow would-be Hades like Jim Carrey and Jeff Goldblum.
For what it’s worth, this writer thinks you can’t look past Stranger Things’ Dacre Montgomery as Hercules, not least because pronouncing his name is itself a Herculean feat. For the record, this writer thinks Montgomery is also extremely hot.