When you think of actor Robert Downey Junior, who do you think of? I think of Iron Man.

So it came as a shock that Downey was returning to the MCU, not as Iron Man, but as the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, Victor Von Doom (Dr. Doom).

The Internet has been at war regarding this decision. Some of the Internet sees it as a desperate cash grab and an insult to Iron Man’s conclusion in “Avengers: Endgame,” while many others see it as a brilliant decision.

But when you look at Marvel’s condition, you’ll see their decision was nothing short of genius.

With increasing superhero fatigue and Marvel’s recent track record of less-than-great movies, Marvel isn’t exactly in the best of places. With many high-potential projects like “Thor: Love and Thunder” being butchered, many have lost interest in Marvel movies. Marvel knew that it needed something big and dramatic to bring fans back, and casting Downey as Doom did exactly that.

When I first heard the news, all my thoughts were scrambled. Bringing back such a nostalgic and legendary actor suddenly flipped Marvel’s dark future on its head. A previously apathetic me now counted the days till “Avengers: Doomsday” would be released.

Furthermore, Marvel is putting all of their cards into Doom. With Kang the Conqueror cut after Jonathan Majors was fired, Marvel is relying on Doom to become the new face and icon of future movies. If Doom’s introduction were to be botched by a bad performance, Marvel would truly be out of options. Nailing down Doom’s character is absolutely vital to the future of the MCU, so Marvel has reverted to what has worked before. Downey has proven that he is more than capable of playing flawed and complex characters like Lewis Strauss from “Oppenheimer.” Casting Downey is the equivalent of securing a hit performance.

The decision also has immense storytelling potential. Just imagine the Avengers locked in a close fight against Doom, and during the fight, Spiderman knocks down Doom’s mask. However, instead of seeing the face of the enemy, he sees the face of his late mentor, the one who sacrificed himself to save the universe. What would Thor do when he sees the face of one of his closest friends on the face of the man he’s fighting? What would the new Avengers say when the villain looks just like the greatest hero in the universe? When you give the new “Big Bad” of the MCU the face of the previous icon of the MCU, it opens up so many potential opportunities for inner turmoil and character conflict.

One of the biggest arguments against this decision is that bringing back Downey might disgrace or undermine the sacrifice he made in “Avengers: Endgame.” After the announcement, most people have begun to realize the MCU’s version of Doom will likely be a multiversal variant–a different version of a character from a different reality–of Iron Man. Something similar has happened in the comics, so Marvel could very well be going down this route. They argue that bringing back the same character would diminish the impact of his sacrifice. It would leave audiences wondering what the point was with Iron Man dying if Marvel was going to bring him back anyway, overall weakening the concept of “death” in the MCU.

However, this argument is simply incorrect. Downey might be playing a variant of Iron Man, but Doom and Iron Man are two completely different characters. If Marvel remains even somewhat faithful to the comics, Doom will be vastly different from Tony Stark. Yes, both are very egotistical and boastful men, but Doom dials that arrogance up to 11. This doesn’t even mention either of their moralities. Stark can be a jerk at times, but Doom is literally a dictator and has tried to conquer the world. But the biggest difference between these two is Stark’s humor. While Doom is not the type of character to crack jokes and act snippy, Stark’s wit not only defined him but also served as the foundation for the MCU on which to start.

Furthermore, we’ve already seen that bringing back characters does not undermine their sacrifices if done correctly. In “Deadpool and Wolverine,” Chris Evans, actor of Captain America, reprised his role as the Human Torch, a superhero that can engulf himself in flames. Captain America, similar to Iron Man, was deemed to have the “perfect ending.” Yet despite being played by the same actor, the Human Torch made no impact on Captain America’s conclusion. Additionally, the biggest example against this argument is in the form of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Just like both Iron Man and Captain America, Wolverine’s end in 2017’s “Logan” was both emotional and perfect. However, Wolverine has returned not only with the same actor and same character but also with virtually the same personality. And just like with Captain America, this newer version of Wolverine not only leaves no effect on his previous legacy but also builds up most of the hype for “Deadpool and Wolverine.”

The fact is that Downey being cast as Doom is a fantastic decision that not only brings interest back to the MCU but also opens the gate to many character moments. With good writing, Marvel can have all of the pros and none of the cons. And with the Russo Brothers’ writing and Downey’s acting, Doom could not be in better hands.