EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesAvengers: DoomsdayAvengers: Doomsday directors the Russo Brothers wouldn’t have returned to Marvel with Robert Downey Jr. if they couldn’t make a sequel “on equal footing with Infinity War and Endgame"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesAvengers: DoomsdayAvengers: Doomsday directors the Russo Brothers wouldn’t have returned to Marvel with Robert Downey Jr. if they couldn’t make a sequel “on equal footing with Infinity War and Endgame"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
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Avengers: Endgame quickly became the highest-grossing film of all time when it stormed cinemas in 2019. James Cameron’s Avatar has since reclaimed pole position (thanks to a subsequent re-release in China), but half a decade on, the fourth Avengers movie is still the most successful superhero film ever made.
As the final culmination of Marvel’s first three phases, Avengers: Endgame was a natural jumping off point for many, including Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr., along with co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo. It’s in the name, after all, yet it turns out Endgame wasn’t quite as final for everyone involved as fans once believed.
Pitting the Avengers against a foe who looks identical to founding member Tony Stark is diabolical in more ways than one, but where did this plan come from in the first place? Whose idea was it to bring Robert Downey Jr. back to the MCU in this new pivotal role?
During an interview with GamesRadar+ at MCM Comic Con 2024, Avengers: Doomsday co-director Joe Russo explained how this twist came about organically through the bond he and Anthony share with Downey Jr.
“We’re all very close,” says Joe. “We had been working on another project before Marvel approached all of us – so we’re working on another project with Robert – and there was a story that evolved through conversations that we got very excited about. Because it’s always got to be the story.”
The specifics of this story aren’t clear just yet, although it’s almost certain that the multiverse will play a key role in Downey Jr.’s return. Whatever happens though, Joe promises that we can expect something “really explosive” when Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters.
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“Why would we come back if we didn’t feel like we had a story that had that possibility of being on an equal footing with Infinity War and Endgame unless there’s a kernel there for an idea that’s really explosive?”
Infinity War and Endgame will be hard to match, but if anyone can do it, it’s the Russo Brothers, who previously wrangled over 20 Marvel movies into a fitting conclusion that broke hearts and box office records alike.
With filming for the fifth Avengers moviestarting in spring 2025, we’re still a long way off from getting to see how this will play out. But in the meantime, the Russo Brothers are preparing for the upcoming release of their next movie, The Electric State, which is due to hit Netflix on March 14, 2025.
While you wait, check out our guide to thebest Netflix moviesto stream now to fill out your watchlist, or see all theupcoming Marvel movies and TV shows.
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Spider-Man 4 may include a Marvel heroine although Sony cannot confirm it will be Anya Taylor-Joy as Black Cat, says boss: “There’s a lot of fantastic female characters, but I can’t talk about all this”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”