Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was kept under wraps, surprising even his fellow Avengers stars. The Iron Man actor made a surprise appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, where it was announced that he will portray Doctor Doom in upcoming Avengers films, including Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday.
Jeremy Renner, who plays Hawkeye in the MCU, revealed that he was unaware of Downey’s new role until the announcement. “I had no idea,” Renner told Us Weekly. “This son of a bitch didn’t say anything to me, and we’re good friends.” Upon learning about Downey’s return, Renner reached out to the Avengers group chat, which includes Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo, and started contacting Downey directly. “I’m like, ‘What’s going on? Are you hiding this from us?’ I don’t know,” Renner said. “That’s exciting news, man. I’m really, really excited about it.”
Renner expressed uncertainty about whether Hawkeye will make a comeback but is open to the possibility. “I’m excited about it. We’ll see. I think we’ll probably be doing it,” he noted. “We’ll have to figure it out. It’s all brand new. It all just happened. They just made the announcement, so I guess we got to start figuring it all out.”
Marvel Studios is shifting focus away from Kang the Conqueror, who was introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Jonathan Majors, who portrayed Kang, was slated to be central to the next Avengers film, Avengers: Kang Dynasty. However, following Majors’ arrest and subsequent legal issues in March 2023, Marvel decided to move in a different direction. Majors was found guilty on two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment and was sentenced to probation and a year-long domestic violence treatment program.
