RDJ Concedes Avengers: Doomsday Won’t Outdo Infinity War or Endgame
Robert Downey Jr. is tempering expectations for Avengers: Doomsday, saying it won’t top Infinity War or Endgame — and shouldn’t. At a special screening, the new Doctor Doom said the next Avengers chapter has to be its own thing, not a rerun of Marvel’s biggest highs.
If you thought Marvel was going to waltz back in and try to outdo the spectacle of Infinity War and Endgame, Robert Downey Jr. is ready to set you straight. Turns out, the next big Avengers flick—now officially called Avengers: Doomsday—is shaking up its game plan for some very good reasons.
Downey Jr. Sets Expectations (and Keeps It Real)
During a pretty buzzy SXSW panel (special screening of Infinity War, no less), RDJ made a surprise appearance along with the Russo Brothers. Fans were fairly giddy, as you’d expect, but Downey Jr. wasted no time bringing everyone back down to earth.
And he really gets it. In his own words:
‘What we’ve been labouring long and hard over… we can’t beat it – we can’t stand on the shoulders of these giants of Infinity War and Endgame. So we’re literally zeroing out the board and we’re going to try to earn your trust and respect all over again. With the likes of [Joe and Anthony Russo], I think we’ve got a pretty good shot.’
Translation: Marvel knows not to try and reheat the same leftovers. So, no, Doomsday isn’t about cautiously one-upping Endgame by cramming even more heroes or apocalyptic stakes onto the screen. They’re not even leaning on nostalgia (well, not much anyway—the cast list is still wild).
Russo Brothers Want a Clean Slate
Joe Russo, one half of the directorial duo behind Marvel’s heaviest hitters, was equally blunt about the approach for Doomsday. He told the crowd they’re ‘starting over from scratch’ and want the film to feel like fresh territory:
‘We want to make sure everybody feels like this isn’t leaning on anything from the past.’
Given the sheer pressure and superhero fatigue hovering over the MCU right now, it’s probably the wisest move they could make.
Who’s Actually in This?
In what can only be described as Marvel’s attempt to both reboot and reunite, Doomsday is basically superhero bingo:
- Robert Downey Jr. returns—but this time as Victor von Doom (yes, Doctor Doom, not Tony Stark. That’s a twist.)
- Chris Evans is back as Steve Rogers/Captain America (the classic version, no less)
- Chris Hemsworth resumes his Thor duties
- And then a frankly enormous ensemble featuring: Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Letitia Wright, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, Channing Tatum, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, and Pedro Pascal. I’m not convinced anyone at Marvel actually sleeps.
Even with all of those names, the film isn’t supposed to coast on old glories. The implication—loud and clear—is that Marvel is aiming for something truly new, not just more of the same with added cameos.
So, When’s It Out?
Avengers: Doomsday says hello (and probably smashes up half of planet Earth) on 18 December, 2026.