Robert Downey Jr. says Avengers: Doomsday is the cure the MCU has been waiting for

Marvel is clearly feeling the heat about how on Earth (or elsewhere) it can keep the Avengers franchise from flopping post-Endgame. Robert Downey Jr., back on the promo treadmill for 'Avengers: Doomsday', has been chatting to CBR about where things are headed. If you thought the MCU was going to settle into comfortable mediocrity, apparently not.

Downey Gets Cryptic About the Future

So, Downey's been taking a look back at 'Infinity War' (2018) and 'Endgame' (2019) – yes, the two planetary-sized event films with enough cameos to crowd a football pitch. Now, there's this nagging little problem: how do you avoid disappointment with the next batch of Avengers movies? According to Downey, that's been a genuine concern as they gear up for 'Doomsday' in 2026 and 'Secret Wars' a year after that.

He's not giving away spoilers (obviously – those Marvel snipers must be lurking nearby), but he did toss out this rather intriguing bit:

'There's something going on in "Doomsday" and forward that is literally the only antidote to: How do you not have these films be a letdown after an "Infinity War" and an "Endgame"? And boy, have we laboured long and hard to bring that down.'

If you're hoping for insight into how Downey is approaching things himself – sorry, he's redirecting the credit. He reckons it all comes down to the structure and the ensemble cast this time out, not to his own performance. That suggests Marvel's aiming for a proper shake-up, not just more of the same with new coat of paint.

The Russo Brothers Hit the Reset Button

Meanwhile, directors Joe and Anthony Russo were on hand at SXSW London (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter), and they didn't exactly play it coy either. They've described the upcoming 'Doomsday' as a reset moment for the entire MCU, with the phrase 'back to Phase Zero' being thrown around.

• They're working closely with Robert Downey Jr. again for the next Avengers films.
• The idea seems to be wiping the slate clean – 'starting over from scratch', in their own words.
• No specific plot points have been dropped, but it's being openly pitched as a bold new beginning, not just Avengers 5 with a different villain-of-the-week.

Marvel's clearly feeling the pressure to not let this next era be a pale imitation of the last one. Is this all clever PR spin, or do they actually have something genuinely new up their sleeves? We'll have to wait until 2026 to find out.