Marvel Fans Say Cillian Murphy Should Have Been Doctor Doom

[Excraft]

Marvel fans have responded to Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom, and many wish that Cillian Murphy was given the role instead. Murphy starred alongside RDJ in Oppenheimer, and some fans have suggested that the Irish actor would have been a better fit for Avengers: Doomsday.

 

https://www.superherohype.com/movies/580386-cillian-murphy-doctor-doom-avengers-doomsday-robert-downey-jr

 

Can't say I disagree.  Not that I don't like RDJ, I loved him as Iron Man.  This just seems like a cheap use of the multiverse to backdoor him back into the MCU.  I think it's a safe bet to make he's going to be an alternate universe Stark who went evil.  RDJ is wasted on this role in my opinion.  Of course he can pull it off, but having been Iron Man and so central to the whole MCU as Tony Stark, I just don't see this working.

[Glacier Peak]

He's the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude!

[ZacKing]

I saw this and at first I thought it was  a joke.  I agree I don't like the casting choice.  Seems like a cheap gimmick to get people interested in the MCU again after the last few years (and upcoming) of super flops and crap films. 

 

It's a shame Disney/Marvel totally wasted Christian Bale on Thor: Love and Thunder.  He's an excellent choice to play Doom.  So is Cillian Murphy.  Let Stark's sacrifice in Endgame continue to resonate.  It's kinda obvious this is going to be multiverse shenanigans to shoehorn him back as Stark. 

 

They also could've just recast Kang too.  Would've loved to see Denzel Washington take that on. 

[Techwright]

24 minutes ago, ZacKing said:

They also could've just recast Kang too.  Would've loved to see Denzel Washington take that on. 

 

Exactly.  It wouldn't be the first time a major character, or secondary character for that matter, was recast in the MCU:

 

1. Hulk

2. Rhodey

3. Thunderbolt Ross

 

One thing to consider when speaking of Kang: the character is actually characters spread over an infinite number of universes.  That credits scene in Quantumania should have shown many Kang variants with different faces, including different skin tones and facial features, heights, sizes, genders, and ages, not just different costumes.  This is something that Loki got right.

 

I suspect the reason the Kang storyline was at least tabled if not outright eliminated (and not recast), was because, with the possible exception of Loki, the story was not connecting with viewers.  It might be best to hope that it's been put back in the fridge to marinate a bit longer, perhaps appearing at some point connecting to the F4.

[Luminara]

Eh.  I would've gone with Karl Urban.  Dredd proved that he has the talent to deliver a compelling performance without showing his face.

[TTRPGWhiz]

7 minutes ago, Luminara said:

Eh.  I would've gone with Karl Urban.  Dredd proved that he has the talent to deliver a compelling performance without showing his face.

This is sorta the crux of casting Doom for me. Casting RDJ seems like a clear signal that he won't be in the mask much. Just get Hardy in there and let him invent an Authentic Latverian Accent.

[Ghost]

26 minutes ago, Techwright said:

 

 

I suspect the reason the Kang storyline was at least tabled if not outright eliminated (and not recast), was because, with the possible exception of Loki, the story was not connecting with viewers.  It might be best to hope that it's been put back in the fridge to marinate a bit longer, perhaps appearing at some point connecting to the F4.

Didn’t help that they portrayed him as the jobber of the week.

 

[Luminara]

2 minutes ago, TTRPGWhiz said:

This is sorta the crux of casting Doom for me. Casting RDJ seems like a clear signal that he won't be in the mask much. Just get Hardy in there and let him invent an Authentic Latverian Accent.

 

If I have to listen to one more bad accent from Tom Hardy...

 

Jackie Earl Haley would make a perfect Doom.  But I'd rather see him as Lex Luthor.

[TTRPGWhiz]

I was mostly being tongue-in-cheek; the same two dozen actors get name checked every time there's speculation or fan-casting. At least we seem to finally be moving away from Nathan Fillion as a leading man playing a canonically mid-20s character.

[PeregrineFalcon]

I really liked RDJ as Tony Stark, but casting him as Doctor Doom just reinforces my belief that Hollywood is just becoming more weird by the year and actively trying to keep new people out of the business. The action stars are all in their 70s, the "young attractive" starlets are all in their 30s and 40s, and the writers are the same talentless hacks who've been churning out uninspired trash since the 90s.

[Excraft]

1 hour ago, Luminara said:

Eh.  I would've gone with Karl Urban.  Dredd proved that he has the talent to deliver a compelling performance without showing his face.

 

Karl Urban would be an awesome choice for the part.  The more suggestions I see others making, the more I'm convinced casting RDJ is just uninspired.  It's an obvious gimmick and it's showing how desperate Marvel/Disney have become. 

[Excraft]

He's pretty well spot on here.

 

 

 

[Mopery]

I love the fact that RDJ will play Doctor Doom.

I think you all watch too many YT videos bashing literally everything Marvel does.

[Luminara]

23 minutes ago, Excraft said:

Karl Urban would be an awesome choice for the part.  The more suggestions I see others making, the more I'm convinced casting RDJ is just uninspired.  It's an obvious gimmick and it's showing how desperate Marvel/Disney have become. 

 

It's risky.  If he doesn't take off the mask, people are going to ask why his casting was such a big deal.  If he does, regardless of how it plays out in the film(s), there's a lot of potential for it to backfire in their faces.  But simply casting him has all but guaranteed that at least one of the relevant films is going to break records.  People are going to flock to theaters to see whether they brought him back as Alternative Universe Stark, or just Doctor Doom.  They might start riots and form lynch mobs afterward, but you know they're going to see at least one film.

 

My theory is that they're not banking on Downey, they're banking on the Russo brothers.  If they can pull off another Winter Soldier/Infinity War/Endgame, who plays Doom won't matter.  That's what they're hoping for, Downey getting people through the door, the Russos gluing their asses to the seats.

[BrandX]

2 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

I really liked RDJ as Tony Stark, but casting him as Doctor Doom just reinforces my belief that Hollywood is just becoming more weird by the year and actively trying to keep new people out of the business. The action stars are all in their 70s, the "young attractive" starlets are all in their 30s and 40s, and the writers are the same talentless hacks who've been churning out uninspired trash since the 90s.

 

They're afraid is what it is.  Not to mention while people may still want the action star, doesn't mean there's a current 20 something that can act and live up to the role.

 

Those 30-40 also have a fan base they're hoping to rely on.  Doesn't help that there are people out there going "Cast older people!  Just because they're old doesn't mean they can't do the role" a little bit more towards the women as it generally effected older actresses.  

[PeregrineFalcon]

9 minutes ago, BrandX said:

Not to mention while people may still want the action star, doesn't mean there's a current 20 something that can act and live up to the role.

There's billions of people on this planet and Hollywood can't find a couple of new younger people to star in their shows? Please. There's no reason to cast 76 year old Arnold Schwarzenegger, 82 year old Harrison Ford, or 94 year old Clint Eastwood as the star in an action movie. An 80 year old man leaping over cars and acting like Rambo just looks stupid.

 

Hollywood wouldn't have to lean so heavily on these geriatric movie stars if they had better writing and directing and didn't have to rely on nothing but name recognition to sell tickets.

 

11 minutes ago, BrandX said:

Just because they're old doesn't mean they can't do the role" a little bit more towards the women as it generally effected older actresses.  

What I was talking about specifically was this new tendency they have to cast actresses in their 30s or 40s as someone in their 20s. It just looks silly seeing a 38 year old actress posing as a 24 year old medical student. I recently even saw a video where an actress said that Hollywood is not hiring attractive women in their 20s.

 

In previous decades there were always new, younger stars starting their careers in breakout roles. Not anymore.

[Frostbiter]

Meh. It'll all be AI in another decade anyway.

[BrandX]

25 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

There's billions of people on this planet and Hollywood can't find a couple of new younger people to star in their shows? Please. There's no reason to cast 76 year old Arnold Schwarzenegger, 82 year old Harrison Ford, or 94 year old Clint Eastwood as the star in an action movie. An 80 year old man leaping over cars and acting like Rambo just looks stupid.

 

Hollywood wouldn't have to lean so heavily on these geriatric movie stars if they had better writing and directing and didn't have to rely on nothing but name recognition to sell tickets.

 

What I was talking about specifically was this new tendency they have to cast actresses in their 30s or 40s as someone in their 20s. It just looks silly seeing a 38 year old actress posing as a 24 year old medical student. I recently even saw a video where an actress said that Hollywood is not hiring attractive women in their 20s.

 

In previous decades there were always new, younger stars starting their careers in breakout roles. Not anymore.

 

The action movie actors you mentioned.  Let's see...Expendables, which was built around the idea of the old action stars.  However, what young ones do you remember from those movies?

 

Harrison Ford?  What?  Indiana Jones?  I've been saying recast Indy this whole time, guess what other people kept complaining about?  Recasting Indy 😛  Just like how people complained about recasting T'Challa.  To many people while at the idea of a different actor playing a role, when the whole idea is it's called acting.  It can be recast.

 

I can't think of any action movie Clint Eastwood has been doing.

 

I need examples of actresses in their 40's playing someone in their 20s as I can't think of any movie that's done this.  I've heard them complaining about being 28 playing the parent to a 20 year old (Rachel Weize at the time and why she didn't do Mummy 3, I believe it was).

 

Of course always the 20 somethings playing high schoolers, but you know...working with kids who can't work the hours.

 

  Yes, I am for new younger stars.  However, I go back to them failing and so big budget movies get nervous casting them because people aren't showing up for them.

[Techwright]

4 hours ago, TTRPGWhiz said:

I was mostly being tongue-in-cheek; the same two dozen actors get name checked every time there's speculation or fan-casting. At least we seem to finally be moving away from Nathan Fillion as a leading man playing a canonically mid-20s character.

 

You know...Alan Tudyk would make an awesome Doctor Doom. 😉

 

1 hour ago, Luminara said:

 

If he doesn't take off the mask, ...

 

 

That's just it.  Doom doesn't take off the mask, at least not so the comic reader can see it (I add that I stopped collecting around the turn of the millenium, so that may have officially changed).  I want that Doom, the mystery of what and whom is really behind the mask.  You may have the best actor behind that mask, but the mask should stay on, or at least the face hidden except the eyes.  It's like "V" (the vigilante, not the aliens). And that actually tells something about a great actor: can they sell a performance with less visual?  Anson Mount was the best part of an otherwise terrible The Inhumans, and the reason was that he had to act through Black Bolt's crippling mute-ness.  I was very impressed with his effort, and therefore thrilled when they announced him as Christopher Pike in Star Trek.

[cronus]

Sam witwer. Fully capable of portraying Doom with his voice alone. 

[Techwright]

3 hours ago, cronus said:

Sam witwer. Fully capable of portraying Doom with his voice alone. 

And the villain's ultimate scream of frustrated defeat would have no one better to perform it.

 

 

I just saw the Comicon reveal again.  I don't know why I missed it before, but the Russo brothers did indeed say RDJ's Doom is from the multiverse so maybe the MCU Doom (that is, Earth-199999) will follow-up after RDJ's performance, and then we could get fan's dream casting.

[Ghost]

12 hours ago, Mopery said:

I love the fact that RDJ will play Doctor Doom.

I think you all watch too many YT videos bashing literally everything Marvel does.

That’s like saying you only love it because you watch too many YT videos loving literally everything Marvel does.  
It completely discounts your ability to have opinions of your own.

[Triumphant]

Well, for me it's still a wait and see kind of thing, for the most part.  I do think the detractors (perhaps skeptics, is a better word) further upthread have some valid points though.  We'll see how it goes.  Given the track record of films involving Doctor Doom and the FF (and also some of the more recent Disney Marvel fare) some skepticism is probably warranted.

[BrandX]

This Marvel does not want him as Dr Doom.

 

Goes back to being TO OLD!

 

He's 48 now.

 

The main universe Reed and Doom should be 30 to 35 tops.  I can understand not having Johnny be a teen.  

[Mopery]

3 hours ago, Ghost said:

That’s like saying you only love it because you watch too many YT videos loving literally everything Marvel does.  
It completely discounts your ability to have opinions of your own.

Alright, I'll give you a 5% discount.