Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr has expressed confidence that Marvel Studios’ upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday will live up to fan expectations.

He said that the project has been carefully structured to avoid the challenges of following blockbuster hits such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Downey, who portrayed Tony Stark/Iron Man across multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, is set to return to the franchise in a new role as the villain Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in December.

Speaking to entertainment outlet CBR alongside co-director Joe Russo, the Oscar-winning actor said the film had reached a stage that he believes will resonate with audiences.

“And it's not even about how I executed it. It's about the way it's been structured, and the other characters,” Downey said. “There's something going on in Doomsday and forward that is literally the only antidote to: How do you not have these films be let down after an Infinity War and an Endgame? And boy, have we labored long and hard to bring that down”.

Marvel Studios has experienced mixed results at the box office since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

While films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Deadpool & Wolverine proved to be major commercial successes, several other releases, including Eternals, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Black Widow, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Captain America: Brave New World and The Marvels, failed to meet expectations.

Joe Russo, who directed Infinity War and Endgame alongside his brother Anthony Russo, said Doomsday would feature several surprises and described it as the most emotionally layered film in the franchise.

“I think [Doomsday] is the most emotionally complex of all of them. And in a lot of ways, the most mature of all of them,” the filmmaker said.

Downey also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to return to the Marvel universe.

“There's an incredible amount of gratitude we have going into these two. One epic at a time. Doomsday... just the gratitude to be able to do it,” he said.

Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Disney, Avengers: Doomsday will also star Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Anthony Mackie and Paul Rudd, among other Hollywood actors.