Can Robert Downey Jr. be the villain that the MCU needs?

The biggest news to come out of this year's San Diego Comic-Con is that, against all odds, Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the Marvel cinematic universe as Doctor Doom.

While the news was received with uproarious applause on the floor in Hall H, a whole lot of fans online had a difference of opinion — namely, that the casting move is just more proof that the MCU is running on fumes.

Today on Commotion, culture critics Eli Glasner and Mel Woods join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to unpack what this decision means for the future of the MCU, and whether it can ensure the box office dominance that the franchise once had.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.

Elamin: OK, so Robert Downey Jr. is coming back as Doctor Doom. Marvel's Kevin Feige announces at Comic-Con, and it sounded like pandemonium, the reaction of the people in the room. Eli, the vibe was a little different online. Why were people unhappy?

Eli: Because, you know, pandemonium or pandering, right?

Elamin: Ay, nice.

Eli: They say "the unimaginable possibilities of the multiverse," and then what they serve up is the most expensive fan service ever, and I think basically the safe choice, the lazy choice, right? You think of what an actor could do with Doctor freaking Doom, one of the most legendary comic book villains ever. So many amazing, unknown actors could make a meal of that. You think of how the MCU has changed the life of actors — including Robert Downey Jr. — but by going backwards and using this almost as stunt casting.… Yes, you've got the base and you've got the shock value, but it feels like fear because of the stumbles of the past few years.

Elamin: 100 per cent, you feel the panic. Mel, listen, they're targeting me when they do this. They're like, "Elamin has sort of fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. What's the way to get him back? Maybe let's give him the most recognizable face of the brand." What was your reaction when you heard Robert Downey Jr. is coming back?

Mel: Exasperation. I'm tired. And a bit of curiosity, I'll admit, to see how they actually manage to jump this shark they've decided to jump. I think there is a good group of people — and I count myself among them — who were into the first wave of Marvel. I was at Endgame on opening night. I saw the things, I have a lot of respect for a lot of those movies. But then the homework got too much. I don't want to have to watch four different series on Disney+ to be able to see a movie I go to the theatres for. That's why they've had this slide largely in the last few years.

And so I think the blatant-ness of this, the outright, "We want your money and we know how to take it out of your pockets, to come back crawling to the churning, multi-billion dollar money wheel that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is," I think fans are really conscious of that — but I also don't believe that they won't go crawling back. We saw with the giant Deadpool & Wolverine opening weekend that there's still a hunger for Marvel if it hits the beats they want to hit. I would not be surprised if that curiosity I talked about at the start is going to draw a lot of those lapsed Marvel people back to see if they flop with Robert Downey Jr.

Elamin: Eli, these Marvel movies have been underperforming and not doing particularly well over the last few years. Do you think bringing back Robert Downey Jr. will be enough to fix things?

Eli: Oh, boy. Um, no.

Elamin: Oh, wow. OK, go on.

Eli: There's still a lot of unknowns. You've got movies like Thunderbolts* coming. There's a lot of new characters that they have introduced that the audience hasn't fallen in love with. They're about to take a massive gamble with the new Fantastic Four with Pedro Pascal, set in the '60s. They're trying some weird stuff, which I love. And so eventually, they're driving towards some massive battle with a version of Doom that has an element of Robert Downey Jr. I think that will help. But to get there, people are going to have to come back for Thunderbolts*. They're going to have to respond to the new Captain America film with Anthony Mackie.

I am not sure, even with all the money they're throwing at this. I have faith in the Russos to give me spectacle par none. I like Downey. I would love to see him use his weaponized charisma in different ways, but I am curious what he does with Doom. I hope, if anything, that it has nothing to do with Iron Man. That it's just another guy. Because Doom is such a fantastic character, he deserves to be on his own — not a variant of a guy who used to be Tony Stark.

Elamin: When Doctor Doom is another Tony Stark variant, I'll see you back here, OK Eli?

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panel produced by Jess Low.