Did Robert Downey Jr. Tell His Fellow Avengers About MCU Return?
By Movieguide® Contributor
AVENGERS star Jeremy Renner was shocked to learn that his former co-star, Robert Downey Jr., is returning to the MCU as supervillain Doctor Doom.
Renner first saw the news online and then “blew up” Downey Jr.’s phone to ask about it.
“We’re good friends. There’s the Avengers family chat. The original six. He said not a peep,” Renner told US Weekly. “I got online and started blowing up his phone like, ‘What’s going on? You’ve been hiding this from us the whole time?’ It’s exciting news. I’m really, really excited about it.”
Business Insider reported, “Marvel Studios announced that Robert Downey Jr. and directors the Russo brothers will return for its next big crossover movie, AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY, in what appeared to be an attempt to use nostalgia to win back fans.”
“…bringing back key members of the old gang won’t come cheap,” Variety reported. “Sources say Marvel is plunking down $80 million for Anthony and Joe Russo to direct AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY and AVENGERS: SECRET WARS and ‘significantly more’ for Downey to tackle uber-villain Doctor Doom in the two tentpoles.”
In light of Downey Jr.’s return, the question was raised if Renner would ever return as Hawkeye. He hasn’t been in an AVENGERS film since his snowplow accident last year, but as of now, Renner seems open to the idea.
“It seems the AVENGERS movies have always been really fan favorites and there’s so many wonderful characters in them. I think it’s going to be challenging to get everybody together,” he said. “I think they’re going to probably have to piece it together like week-by-week, just for people’s schedules.”
Last week, Downey Jr. posted to Instagram about his new role. Along with the caption, “New mask, same task,” he posted a photo of him holding the mask of Doctor Doom, as well as a video of him at Comic Con taking off the mask and revealing his face to the crowd.
Fans seemed to have mixed feelings about seeing the actor who played their favorite superhero return as a villain, but it seems that many are looking forward to the film, which is predicted to come out sometime in 2026.
Movieguide® previously reported on why Marvel is bringing on familiar faces:
“After all, the brothers’ two AVENGERS movies earned a whopping $4.851 billion combined,” Variety continued. “As Marvel looks to regain its footing, a Downey/Russos reteaming is ‘a perfect combination of timing and everyone being on the same page,’ says one executive close to the project.”
Another Variety article claims that Downey’s success in Marvel’s IRON MAN movies brought profitability to his other movies, like DUE DATE and the SHERLOCK HOLMES franchise.
Since Marvel has had enormous success with him before, the studio is thinking it might work again.
“IRON MAN didn’t just kick off a massive film franchise; it completed a full-scale comeback for Downey, who’d climbed his way out of career purgatory and struggles with addiction. A man who, by the mid-2010s, appeared to be a blue-chip movie star had, upon IRON MAN’s release, been the risky choice,” Variety said.
