Robert Downey Jr has returned to Instagram after a month-long hiatus to share a Marvel-themed Valentine’s Day post dedicated to his wife Susan.
The Iron Man actor, 59, became Hollywood’s highest paid star after reportedly receiving a £62.7m fee for his return to Marvel in the forthcoming film Avengers: Doomsday.
On Friday (14 February), he posted a comic book-style artwork featuring the mask worn by Doctor Doom, aka Victor Von Doom, the Fantastic Four villain that he will be playing in the new movie.
“Happy Valentine’s Day! Victor Von Valentine,” read the picture, which was followed by a second cartoon drawing of Downey Jr and his wife, Susan, accompanied by the words: “Bobby + Suzie forever.”
Downey Jr and Susan have been married for 18 years after meeting on the set of 2003’s Gothika, in which Susan served as a producer and he starred.
Fans were quick to comment on the post, with several telling the actor: “I love you 3000”, which is a line that Downey Jr’s Tony Stark says to his daughter Morgan in Avengers: Endgame.
The decision to cast Downey Jr as Doctor Doom has not been without controversy, with many fans having condemned the move with several expressing surprise that the actor would return to the MCU so swiftly after being killed off in 2019 – and as a completely different character.
While specific details surrounding his return are yet to be confirmed, the directing Russo brothers said the casting was made possible due to the existence of the multiverse – a series of different worlds featuring characters old and new, which makes unlimited possibilities available to the writers.
This suggests that Downey Jr will be playing a villainous variant of his original role as Iron Man. It is believed this idea was thought up after the axing of Jonathan Majors from the MCU; his character, Kang the Destroyer, was originally intended to be the primary villain in a forthcoming Avengers film.
There are also comic book readers who do not like the fact that this will detract from Doctor Doom’s rivalry with Fantastic Four characters Reed Richards and Sue Storm, who are set to be played in the MCU by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, respectively.
Downey Jr first appeared as Iron Man in 2008, and reprised the role in 10 Marvel films across the next 11 years. He previously said he would “happily” return to Marvel, stating: “It’s too integral a part of my DNA.”
Avengers: Doomsday is expected to hit cinemas sometime in 2026.
