Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man Return Just Got Bad News From Marvel Producer

Robert Downey Jr. may not be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after all. With Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, most fans were holding out hope for some of the franchise’s first stars to return to the fold for one final go-around. Some recent comments from Marvel Studios producer Stephen Broussard, however, seem to throw cold water on that specific notion. Earlier this month, the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania producer specifically stated Downey was “off the table.”

“I think one of the meta-narratives of Phase Four was about new characters. It was about new people stepping into mantles,” Broussard said in a chat with io9. “If you look at, like, Cassie [Lang in Quantumania] getting a suit and Kate Bishop [in Hawkeye], new characters being introduced like Jack in Werewolf by Night. After these first 10 years of Marvel storytelling, torches are being passed, like with Robert Downey Jr. no longer being [on the] table and stuff like that. So it was kind of like a new generation stepping to the forefront which, again, has always happened in the comics.”

Will other heroes return for Avengers: Secret Wars?

Given Secret Wars is one comics storyline that could dwarf the scope of Avengers: Endgame, a lot of characters from across the Marvel multiverse could be on tap to return to their live-action roles. Either way, Marvel boss Kevin Feige is excited about the next two film phases leading directly into the mega-blockbuster.

“Not every film in the Infinity Saga focused on the Infinity Stones or Thanos, and it’ll be the same across 5 and 6. But we’re gearing up. People will get a taste of this in a big way in Quantumania as we lead to Avengers: Secret Wars, which I’m extremely excited for,” Feige told Entertainment Weekly earlier this month. “You know, I’m coming up on 23 years at Marvel. That’s a long time. It’s not quite half my life, but it’s almost half my life. [Laughs] Many of us have been together for a decade or more. And we only do it because we are so excited and in love with the potential for what we can do ahead. The storylines that weave together through Phase 5 and 6 into Secret Wars and the opportunities that the multiverse brings storytelling-wise, it’s a whole new aspect to the MCU. “

Avengers: Secret Wars is currently set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026. What other characters do you think could appear in the Avengers flick? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!