Marvel fans concerned as Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man and other MCU characters are recast in new show
It seems Disney initially assumed they would happily take part
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Marvel fans have been surprised to learn that a selection of MCU characters have been recast for a new Disney Plus series.
Upon the release of the trailer of What If...?, a new animated show, confusion abounded as viewers realised some voices they expected to hear do not actually feature in the series.
These include Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Benicio del Toro as Guardians of the Galaxy character The Collector.
The trailer comes after Jeff Goldblum, who’ll voice The Grandmaster (the character he played in Thor: Ragnarok), seemed to confirm Downey Jr’s involvement in the show.
Goldblum told BuzzFeed in 2019 that Iron Man was in his episode, stating “so Robert Downey will do a voice”. It’s unclear whether Goldblum was misinformed or whether Downey Jr had recorded lines. However, many are assuming it was simply a scheduling issue.
Despite no direct correlation, some fans think it has something to do with Downey Jr unfollowing his MCU co-stars on Instagram earlier this week. These fans took it as a sign that the actor was severing his ties to the Marvel universe.
They have also highlighted that Disney’s official What If...? announcement claimed that Downey Jr and Evans would take part – but this increasingly seems like this may have been just an assumption on the studio’s part.
The Independent has contacted Disney and Downey Jr’s representative for comment.
What If...? re-imagines past Marvel films with alternate plot twists. It will posthumously feature the voice work of Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther.
Boseman died in August 2020, four years after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
The series will premiere on Disney Plus on 11 August.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments