Saturday, Marvel Studios declared Downey will return to the MCU from San Diego Comic-Con. Downey Jr.’s arrival was announced just minutes after “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo were tapped to direct the next two superhero crossover movies. “Avengers: Doomsday” And “Avengers: Secret Wars” It is expected to be released in May 2026 and May 2027 respectively.
“Doomsday” will replace “The Kong Dynasty” as the fifth “Avengers” film, with Doom taking over villain duties for Kong the Conqueror, previously played by Jonathan Majors. Marvel severed ties with Majors in December 2023 after he was found guilty of assault and harassment charges.
“Secret Wars,” meanwhile, draws from several comic book series of the same title. In 2015, Jonathan Hickman’s run of “Avengers” comics ended with a rebooted “Secret Wars” storyline where several universes were destroyed and the rest gathered in a world controlled by, you guessed it, Doctor Doom. So it looks like that’s where the MCU is going.
It’s unclear if Downey will play a version of Tony Stark/Iron Man as a heel from another universe, or specifically Victor Van Doom. (The Disney press release He was identified as “Victor Van Doom,” but the jury’s still out, you know, it’s comic books.There is even a funny story There Tony Stark becomes Doom and Doom becomes Iron Man. Doom spends a lot of time behind a mask, so any confusion about his appearance with Stark’s character may occur.
On social media, Downey’s arrival was met with mixed feelings. Some fans were disappointed that Marvel decided to bring Downey back to the MCU as Tony Stark in “Endgame.” Others suggested the return of one of Marvel’s biggest names to the franchise could be a boost amid poor box office performances.
“Fully understand why a Doctor Doom announcement like RTJ isn’t woohoo for everyone. I think it could be elegant and something special. wrote Jordan Maison is an editor at X for the pop culture website Cinelinx.
The decision to bring back the Russos ends a years-long search for a new “Avengers” director. Russo has a deep Marvel resume, having directed MCU standouts 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” Their biggest success stories were “Infinity War” and “Endgame,” which brought together more than a dozen characters into one story and became huge hits, grossing more than $2 billion each. “Endgame,” released in 2019, is the No. 2 movie of all time with $2.79 billion worldwide — behind only James Cameron’s “Avatar.”
In addition to Downey’s announcement and Russo’s return, Marvel released details about its next three films — “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” Comic-Con attendees shared notes and videos from the showcase on social media Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk From the new “Captain America” film and the first look Fantastic four’s superhero costumes And their villain – Planet Eater Galactus.
Marvel’s biggest announcements followed a big box office weekend for the studio. “Deadpool and Wolverine,” the 34th MCU installment starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, earned $438 million worldwide at the weekend box office. Its domestic total was $205 million That was the most for an R-rated movie in history, not adjusted for inflation. The film’s domestic opening total finished ahead of 2018’s “Black Panther” ($202 million), but slightly behind 2012’s “The Avengers” ($207 million).
Downey’s arrival and the success of “Deadpool and Wolverine” indicate that Marvel doesn’t mind leaning into nostalgia, especially at a time when the company is experiencing one of its biggest box office misses and critical pain points. It’s still a long time before the MCU’s next “Avengers” films hit theaters, but it’s clear that Marvel is keeping an eye on the future as well as the past as it looks for stability.
