Robert Downey Jr. Speaks Out on MCU Return: “Never, Ever Bet Against Kevin Feige”

Robert Downey Jr. is giving Marvel fans everywhere a major shot of hope in his new interview, in which he suggests it’s not at all impossible that he’ll return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; in fact, the odds are fairly good that he will! 

When asked by Esquire if his recent Oscar win (for Best Supporting Actor in Oppenheimer) has closed the door on his days in the MCU for for good, Downey made it clear that it’s quite the opposite: he would be more than willing to come back: “Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role [Iron Man] chose me.”

Downey went a step further, hinting that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige could have a plan that’s ambitious enough to bring Downey back to the franchise: “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

There have been reports simmering for months now about what kind of corrective steps Marvel Studios is taking with the MCU franchise – and Robert Downey Jr.’s name has been in the mix. Downey’s Iron Man and Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow were both rumored to be getting resurrections (or some other lane that could see them return onscreen) – rumors that seemed to coincide with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s return and his stated strategy of getting the MCU back into premium blockbuster-sized event films. Since then, Downey has been playing coy about the subject – while never fully dismissing the notion of his MCU return.

How Robert Downey Jr. Could Return to the MCU

Marvel fans have overwhelmingly supported one particular idea for how Robert Downey Jr. (and other former MCU stars) could return in an epic way. 

The current “Multiverse Saga” story arc in the MCU has always been headed for one climatic destination, which was some version of the Marvel “Secret Wars” event that has happened numerous times in the comics. Marvel’s Secret Wars brings together heroes of different realities and/or portions of their worlds for a Hunger Games-style battle. Fans (and Kevin Feige) have been weighing how The Multiverse Saga finale can hope to match the epicness of Avengers: Endgame. Well, instead of trying to outdo a classic milestone moment in cinema, Marvel Studios’s best bet may be rekindling that nostalgia by bringing back its classic Avengers squad – or introducing some variant versions of them. 

As time goes on, it’s become clearer that RDJ wasn’t as supportive of his Iron Man death in Endgame as some fans may have thought. It may close more and require better material now, but it sounds like seeing Iron Man in the MCU again is far from impossible. 

The MCU movies are streaming on Disney+. Oppenheimer is streaming on Peacock.