Robert Downey Jr. has received bad news from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The majority of fans were hoping that some of the original stars of the franchise would make one last appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars. Nevertheless, several recent statements from Marvel Studios executive Stephen Broussard appear to cast doubt on that particular assumption. The producer of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania expressly claimed Downey was “off the table” earlier this month.
One of Phase Four’s meta-narratives, in my opinion, concerned new characters. It dealt with new individuals taking on leadership roles. If you take a look at things like Kate Bishop in Hawkeye wearing a suit and Cassie Lang in Quantumania getting a suit, or new characters being presented like Jack in Werewolf by Night. Torches are being passed after the first ten years of Marvel storytelling, as evidenced by the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is no longer [on the] table and other such things. So, it was almost akin to a new generation taking the lead, which has always occurred in comic books.
Avengers: Secret Wars is currently set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.
