Robert Downey Jr. is ‘immersed’ in creating Doctor Doom, Russo Bros. say
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Robert Downey Jr. is deep in preparation mode for his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo tell Entertainment Tonight that the former Iron Man actor, who’ll be playing the villain Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, is in the “very intense process” of developing the character.
“He is so immersed in it. He is so dialed in,” Joe Russo said. “He’s writing backstory, costume ideas … We were just on the phone with him this morning before we got here talking about it. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters. He sees a real opportunity here with the character.”
Downey’s surprise casting was announced at Comic-Con last year. He previously played Iron Man in 10 films, before being killed off in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Doomsday also marks the Russo brothers’ return to the franchise after helming Endgame. They’ll also direct Doomsday’s follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars. Doomsday is currently set for a May 2026 release.
Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
Ryan Dorsey is remembering his late ex-wife, Naya Rivera, on her birthday, over four years after her death at age 33.
The Big Sky actor took to Instagram on Sunday to share a poem he wrote to Rivera, who died in an accidental drowning while swimming in Lake Piru in Southern California in July 2020.
“Happy Heavenly Birthday,” Dorsey began his post. “5 birthdays since you’ve been gone. Thoughts everyday about how it went wrong. The memories attached to places, Still see all the things, see all our faces.”
“Visions of happiness and sadness, 15 years flash by when I hear a certain song. I shake my head often still in disbelief, They say time heals all, but all is not grief,” Dorsey continued.
Next, Dorsey shared his commitment to the pair’s son, 9-year-old Josey Hollis Dorsey.
“Doing the best I can for our JoJo Binx, As the time goes by, Im often alone and sit and think. I think more of our better times, Like this picture from the past, but it still f****** stings,” he wrote.
Dorsey concluded his tribute, “So give Emmy and Lucy one good rub, And if you’re reading this, Be kind to the one’s you love, You’ll never know when you give your last hug.”
Dorsey and Rivera were married for four years before divorcing in 2018.
At the time of her death, the Glee actress was alone on a boat with her son, who was then 4 years old. Josey told authorities that he and his mother went for a swim and that afterward, he got back in the boat, but his mother did not.
Blake Lively‘s It Ends With Us co-star Brandon Sklenar has shared his support for the actress, following her legal action against her It Ends with Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.
On Dec. 20, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios of waging a smear campaign against her and accusing the actor of sexual harassment, allegations which Baldoni has denied via a lawyer.
Sklenar, who plays Atlas Corrigan in the film, posted a message on social media Monday. “For the love of God read this,” he wrote, linking to The New York Times‘ publishing of Lively’s complaint. He tagged Lively and added a heart emoji to the post.
Sklenar’s post comes after Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars — America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel – shared a joint statement on Dec. 22, expressing “solidarity” with Lively in her fight “against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.” She also received support from It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover and director Paul Feig.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, denied the allegations in a statement to ABC News.
“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions,” Freedman said.
“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”
The 2025 Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday.
Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang announced the nominees in all 23 categories for the 97th Academy Awards at 5:30 a.m. PST / 8:30 a.m. EST from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles.
Conan O’Brien will host the 97th Academy Awards, airing live on ABC on Sunday, March 2, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Here is the complete list:
Best supporting actor Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Best costume design A Complete Unknown – Arianne Phillips Conclave – Lisy Christl Gladiator II – David Crossman and Janty Yates Nosferatu – Linda Muir Wicked – Paul Tazewell
Best original score The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg Conclave – Volker Bertelmann Emilia Pérez – Clément Ducol and Camille Wicked – John Powell and Stephen Schwartz The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers
Best makeup and hairstyling A Different Man Emilia Pérez Nosferatu The Substance Wicked
Best live action short film A Lien Anuja I’m Not a Robot The Last Ranger The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Best animated short film Beautiful Men In the Shadow of the Cypress Magic Candies Wander to Wonder Yuck!
Best adapted screenplay A Complete Unknown – Jay Cocks and James Mangold Conclave – Peter Straughan Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain and Nicolas Livecchi Nickel Boys – Joslyn Barnes and RaMell Ross Sing Sing – Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Best supporting actress Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Best original song “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight “Like A Bird” from Sing Sing “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late
Best documentary feature film Black Box Diaries No Other Land Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat Sugarcane
Best documentary short film Death by Numbers I Am Ready, Warden Incident Instruments of a Beating Heart The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Best animated feature film Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot
Best film editing Anora – Sean Baker The Brutalist – Dávid Jancsó Conclave – Nick Emerson Emilia Pérez – Juliette Welfling Wicked – Myron Kerstein
Best production design The Brutalist Conclave Dune: Part Two Nosferatu Wicked
Best sound A Complete Unknown Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez Wicked The Wild Robot
Best visual effects Alien: Romulus Better Man Dune: Part Two Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Wicked
Best cinematography The Brutalist – Lol Crawley Dune: Part Two – Greig Fraser Emilia Pérez – Paul Guilhaume Maria – Ed Lachman Nosferatu – Jarin Blaschke
Best actor Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Best actress Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Best director Sean Baker, Anora Brady Corbet, The Brutalist James Mangold, A Complete Unknown Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Best picture Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I’m Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked
