by Many people are speculating whether one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s upcoming two blockbuster films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, would see Robert Downey Jr. reprise his Iron Man role.
In addition to reuniting the present Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 may also feature enduring heroes from the previous three decades who started both inside and outside of the MCU. And while this will undoubtedly result in the largest team-up films in the history of comic book movies, fans have placed original MCU performers like Downey Jr. high on their wishlists for potential comebacks in the coming years.
Currently, Jonathan Majors is the only actor whose participation in Avengers 5 has been confirmed. The MCU rookie has already stated that playing Kang the Conqueror is a dream job for him as he gets to know the monster and all of his various Variants.
Robert Downey Jr. is wanted for Avengers 5 by Jonathan Majors
Jonathan Majors, who plays Iron Man in the upcoming Avengers sequel, stated his desire to see Robert Downey Jr. return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an interview with Lauren Rouse of Lifehacker.
Kang’s participation opens up a world of opportunities, especially as the MCU starts experimenting with Multiverses and Variants. Majors turned to the most well-known Original Avenger when asked whether there was “anyone that you’re really looking forward to working with or hope that Kang gets to play off of [in Avengers 5],.”
Majors emphasised his admiration for Downey as a performer, recalling the contributions Downey made to the superhero film industry:
“This is like a Robert Downey Jr. day, he just keeps popping in [to my head]. Like, I know he’s an OG. I mean, he’s one of the originals. I’m just such a huge fan of him as an actor. I think what he did with Iron Man was such a gift to the culture at large.”
Majors saw many ways in which the two characters would complement one another, and he found Downey’s portrayal of Iron Man to be “very intriguing” as he observed the vitality the actor brought to the Avengers team:
“I would love to be across from him on screen to see how our philosophies, acting-wise and character-wise, just personally, match up. You know, I find him to be such a fascinating artist, which is why Iron Man is so fascinating. His portrayal of Iron Man is so fascinating and he represents a very clear world view and energy of the Avengers. And I think Kang represents a different era.
Because of their opposing philosophies, he already has a sense of what a meeting between Kang and Tony Stark might entail:
“It’d be really interesting to see those two kind of come together and have a bit of conversation”
He also expressed his gratitude for the “a great deal of responsibility” that comes with playing Kang, which enables him to develop as an actor to extraordinary heights.
He admits that his anticipation for his impending role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has him barely able to think about Avengers 5, but he adores the chance he has to continue to develop “the mythology of Kang” in the future:
“I mean, I’m a franchise player. Kang is a very privileged place to be in with a great deal of responsibility. And because of that, I have the opportunity to really stretch and grow my artistry, selfishly, and contribute that and give that to audiences and to the rest of my teammates. So Kang Dynasty – I can’t even think about it because I’m so excited about [Quantumania] – but Kang Dynasty feels to me that it has the potential to grow the mythology of Kang, to grow the curiosity of Kang that much more, which is extremely exciting.”
Does Robert Downey Jr. Plan to Join the MCU Again?
Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man has been replaced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) over the past few years, with the actor’s final appearance coming in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Even with numerous allusions to the first Avenger, it has grown into one of the most significant deaths that have really been carried through in all of Phase 4, thus it is not surprising that Jonathan Majors wants Downey back for more action.
Many fans already believe that one of the upcoming Avengers films will reintroduce Downey to the action, allowing Kang to meet with at least a variant of the hero who served as the catalyst for the MCU’s entire plot.
Given how many other Avengers 6 variants Marvel is already contemplating, these would probably be the best ways to use Downey to keep his death from Endgame dramatic. Downey should at the very least be considered for a cameo.
On May 2, 2025, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will make its theatrical debut.
