Robert Downey Jr. will soon celebrate his return to the MCU. After Iron Man, he is already taking on his second role in this universe. But he is not the only actor who has played more than one character in Marvel-movies.
Who does Robert Downey Jr. play? His first big role for Marvel hardly needs an introduction. It is of course Iron Man, a character that Downey Jr. has portrayed since the first film in 2008, in two more solo films and other features like the ensemble movies, such as Avengers: End Game.
With this role, which saved his career, the actor secured a permanent place in the MCU and also in the minds of Marvel fans. Thus, some were all the more surprised when it was announced that Robert Downey Jr. would soon be seen in a new role.
In the films Avengers 5 (Doomsday) and 6 (Secret Wars), which will be released in 2026 and 2027, the actor plays Doctor Doom. The character is one of the oldest Marvel villains and was created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. On MeinMMO, you can find 5 reasons why Doctor Doom is scarier than Thanos.
So, it is important to disregard Downey Jr. and his Iron Man when he soon appears as a new character in the MCU. However, this is not the first time this has happened. Another well-known actor has already played two roles for Marvel.
The greatest villain and Deadpool’s nemesis
Which actor are we talking about? Similar to Iron Man, the great antagonist Thanos is likely etched into the minds of fans. He is played by Josh Brolin, another actor who has worked for Marvel a second time.
In addition to his appearances in the Avengers films with destructive finger snaps, Brolin also appeared in Deadpool 2. There he played Cable, a character from the X-Men comics and acts as an opponent to Deadpool in the film before they team up for a brief period.
Strictly speaking, Deadpool 2 was not an integral part of the MCU, yet fans know the faces of their favorite characters, which can lead to some confusion in certain cases. In the end, however, the performance counts, which can sometimes disguise the fact that the same actor is at work here again.
Are there more actors who appear multiple times? Yes, there are. In addition to Downey Jr. and Brolin, there are a handful of actors who also play multiple roles. However, these are usually much smaller. Chris Evans played ‘The Human Torch’ in The Fantastic Four in addition to Captain America, and Michelle Yeoh portrayed characters in Guardians of the Galaxy and Shang-Chi.
Does multiple casting like in these cases bother you? Or do you even look forward to seeing certain actors in various roles within the same universe? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. By the way, Robert Downey Jr. will no longer be seen as Iron Man: Marvel CEO explains why Robert Downey Jr. will never return as Iron Man.
