Marvel Fans Freaking Out Over Robert Downey Jr. Producing New DC Project

As the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade, as well as its highest-paid star and the actor who played the title hero in Marvel Studios’ very first self-funded production, Robert Downey Jr. is always going to find himself intrinsically linked to Kevin Feige’s monolithic franchise.

He may have gracefully bowed out of the role at the end of Avengers: Endgame and since admitted he’s done all that he can with Tony Stark, but barely a week passes by without at least one rumor circulating in regards to his return. Downey Jr. has yet to settle on his next onscreen role after the disastrous Dolittle, but MCU fans appear to have gotten a shock after discovering he’s one of the producers on an upcoming DC adaptation.

Based on the Vertigo comic book series of the same name, Netflix dropped the first trailer for Sweet Tooth yesterday, and despite the footage being packed to the brim with eye-popping visuals and an impressive sense of scale, all anybody seemed to want to talk about was RDJ’s name being attached to DC, as you can see from the reactions below.

Robert Downey Jr. being the executive producer for a DC tv show is the biggest plot twist of 2021

— ᱬ (@Denzel_Oneill) April 29, 2021

Robert Downey Jr producing a movie based on a DC comic??? no, that doesn’t fit

— Julia ‎⎊ (@United_for_1D_) April 29, 2021

RDJ is in the DC universe now?

He really wasn’t happy with Tony being killed off then was he

— Sahara💛💛 (@SaharaRose_) April 29, 2021

DC??? pic.twitter.com/3dcFY8WFZS

— Kyle Joseph 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇸 (@TheKyleJoseph) April 29, 2021

90% of the comments on the Sweet Tooth trailer are “Robert Downey Jr. producing a DC property? Whaaat?” and that is why I’m building a rocket ship in the parking lot. See you later folks, I’ll be on the moon.

— Aidan “func over formtion” Morgan (@palinode) April 29, 2021

traitor

— paul (@b1yst4rks) April 29, 2021

DC?? Say it isn’t so?! 😳

— Maria Iaquinto (@miaquintoMJ) April 29, 2021

Robert Downey Jr. Produces a DC related project? https://t.co/3dwV9TwRyZ

— Hemans (@TheHeman9) April 29, 2021

People who are canceling Robert Downey Jr. for working with DC.
Robert no longer works with Marvel, now he is free to decide who he agrees to work with. pic.twitter.com/J3jbjebHa1

— Didem (@TeamDowney1965) April 29, 2021

Robert downey and DC comic in one sentence?

— ᛗᚨᚾᚦᚨ (@Salmanthaa) April 29, 2021

Sweet Tooth looks as though it’s got the potential to become the streaming service’s next breakout fantasy series, a genre the platform has become increasingly adept at mastering over the last couple of years, but in some circles it’s been boiled down to a Marvel vs. DC thing. Of course, that was to be expected given Robert Downey Jr.‘s name is slapped smack dab in the middle of the trailer and Iron Man will likely always be viewed as his career-defining role, but he’s not that guy any more so he’s free to dabble with as many other comic book properties as he likes.