Avengers: Doomsday’s Robert Downey Jr. teases Chris Evans’ return, calls it a 'key relationship'

Marvel studios aren’t exactly known for keeping their plans under wraps, but this latest round of MCU teasing managed to drop a few jaws regardless. Robert Downey Jr. – now stepping into the robes of Doctor Doom, of all things – has started stirring up talk about Chris Evans’ return in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. If you were expecting these two to quietly bow out after saving the universe (twice), think again.

Doomsday Teases and Old Friends

If you watched the D23 coverage, Downey Jr. appeared on Good Morning America and got properly nostalgic about sharing the screen again with Evans. But he wasn’t just talking about the good old days. Asked about their on-set dynamic, Downey Jr. dropped what sounds suspiciously like a veiled clue about how their characters will collide – or possibly team up? – this time around.

Here’s how Downey Jr. put it during the interview:

I'll say this, getting to know you better, all of our history, because, you know, he's … You’re a legit dude, and you don’t say yes just ’cause you can. It has to feel right. And I think that in Doomsday, what, what happens with our, this key relationship is so exciting and unexpected and beautiful.

If you’re reading between the lines (and let’s be honest, this crowd always is), the phrase "this key relationship" is setting off speculation alarms everywhere. Given Downey’s now playing Doom rather than Stark, the question becomes: are these two about to go toe-to-toe, or is there a twist in store for Steve Rogers’ MCU future?

Evans Back in the Suit

Chris Evans, for his part, was also asked at the event about picking up the shield again. He didn’t spill any plot details, obviously, but his reaction had the same emotional nostalgia. In response to the question of returning:

Incredible. Yeah. I mean, in a way, it kind of feels like we never left. You know what I mean? I mean, it feels like a lifetime ago, but also like it was yesterday.

So it sounds like Evans hasn’t lost his sense of surprise or his fondness for the role, even if it’s been a while since Endgame.

Biggest Crossover Yet?

Here’s where things get impossibly crowded. Avengers: Doomsday isn’t just an Avengers film – it’s shaping up to be the MCU ensemble event, featuring characters from three separate universes. Alongside Doctor Doom and Steve Rogers, the line-up includes just about everyone you can name from the X-Men and Fantastic Four films, with Chris Hemsworth stepping up as Thor to lead the new team. If you thought Endgame was a logistical nightmare, this is Marvel’s attempt to outdo themselves.

Confirmed cast spans a frankly bonkers roster:

• Pedro Pascal
• Paul Rudd
• Anthony Mackie
• Florence Pugh
• Vanessa Kirby
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach
• Wyatt Russell
• Channing Tatum
• Simu Liu
• Ian McKellen
• Tom Hiddleston
• James Marsden
• Patrick Stewart
• Joseph Quinn
• Sebastian Stan
• David Harbour
• ...and plenty more

Yes, if the maths is maths-ing correctly, that’s multiple Magnetos and Professor Xs in one film.

The Russo Brothers Return

The directorial duo behind Infinity War and Endgame – Joe and Anthony Russo – are officially back in the saddle for this massive production. The film will introduce Victor von Doom as the kind of threat who makes Thanos look like a warm-up act: the ultimate Marvel supervillain, ready to put all those heroes through the wringer at once. Not much is confirmed story-wise, but every hint suggests both a brutal showdown and perhaps a hand-off to Avengers: Secret Wars down the line.

Avengers: Doomsday lands in cinemas worldwide on 18 December 2026.