You may think it was the Russo brothers' idea to get Robert Downey Jr. to play Doctor Doom, but the directors revealed that initially, they had no interest in bringing Downey back as the Latverian dictator. Speaking to Omelete, Joe Russo said Downey tried to talk the filmmakers into directing him as Doctor Doom, and they initially refused.Read More: Russo Brothers Want Millie Bobby Brown in 'Avengers: Doomsday'Asked whose idea it was to cast Downey as Doom, Joe Russo said, "That was Kevin [Feige]. And interestingly enough about that is that conversation was had a while ago. Robert [Downey jr.] tried to talk us into doing it and we said, 'No' ... We just didn't have a story. We didn't have a way in, right? We were resistant for a while. And then one day ["Avengers: Endgame" writer] Steve McFeely, who's one of our key collaborators, said, 'I have an idea.' And he called us in pit and we said 'That's the story. That story has to be told. It's a really powerful story.'"Joe Russo didn't say what the story was that hooked him and Anthony, but he did add, "The one thing I will say about the movie is this: we love villains who think they're the heroes of their own stories. That's when they become three-dimensional and when they become more interesting. And when you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a well-shaped three-dimensional character for the audience."That certainly was the case for Josh Brolin's Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." While the Mad Titan certainly enjoyed the violence and death he was dishing out, he has the end goal of bringing what he says is "balance" to the universe.But you can also see this in the villains of the Russo Brothers' other Marvel films. In "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) believes his actions will bring order to a chaotic world. In "Captain America: Civil War," Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl) believes he's exposing the hypocrisy of the Avengers while getting justice for his family.In the comics, during the lead-up to "Secret Wars," the heroes are constantly faced with the impossible choice of either letting the Earth-616 universe die, or destroying universes about to collide with them. One possible thing the Russos could be hinting at is that it will be Downey's Doom who takes the choice out of the heroes' hands."Avengers: Doomsday" bows on May 1, 2026. The follow-up "Avengers: Secret Wars" hits theaters May 7, 2027.More Comics:DC's 'Lanterns' Casts 'Stranger Things' StarElizabeth Olsen Pitches Wild Idea To Bring Back MCU Wanda