How Long Did 'Fantastic Four's Director Know About That Robert Downey Jr. Reveal?

Everybody who works at Marvel Studios on their epic superhero movies knows that it’s going to be a collaborative process. Directors on different films often weigh in on separate projects, purely because of how interconnected these movies often are. Back in the Phase One days, filmmakers would pop down to different sets to shoot those iconic stingers as a tease for their own future films. More recently, The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman, who has been tasked with the immense responsibility of introducing Marvel’s first family to the MCU, spoke about the bombshell revelation of Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the franchise as the iconic Doctor Doom.

The character obviously shares the closest ties with the Fantastic Four, who will also appear in the upcoming (and newly titled) Avengers: Doomsday. But was Shakman aware of what’s cooking before signing on to direct his Fantastic Four movie? He spoke to Collider’s Therese Lacson at the ongoing San Diego Comic-Con about the grand reveal, and its implications on the future of the characters that he’s set to introduce. Shakman said that he’s known about Downey’s involvement “for a while,” and had to keep it “under wraps” from everybody. In his own words:

“It’s incredible exciting. I’m a huge fan of Robert Downey Jr., of course, and there’s no one bigger. And I have heard about it for a while, and I had to keep that secret for a while. But it’s really exciting! I kept it under wraps.”‘

Avengers: Doomsday’ Will Also Mark a Return to the MCU for Directors Joe and Anthony Russo

Shakman first collaborated with Marvel on the Disney+ streaming series WandaVision a few years ago. Downey, of course, was catapulted to the upper pinnacle of the A-list after starring as Tony Stark/Iron Man for over a decade in the MCU. He bid an emotional farewell to the character with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and for a while, it seemed like he was transitioning away from the superhero genre. He recently won an Oscar for his supporting performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Downey will reunite with Endgame directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo on Avengers: Doomsday, which is set for a 2026 release.

Fantastic Four

Release Date

July 25, 2025

Director

Matt Shakman

Writers

Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, Stan Lee, Ian Springer

One of Marvel's most iconic families makes it back to the big screen, the Fantastic Four.