Avengers: Endgame The film recently celebrated its five-year anniversary and directors Joe and Anthony Russo expressed skepticism over recent comments from Robert Downey Jr. that suggested he would be willing to reprise his role as Iron Man in the MCU.
Earlier this month, Downey Jr. told Esquire magazine that he would like to dress up as Iron Man again, explaining, “It’s too integral a part of my DNA.” This role chose me. And look, I always say: Never bet against Kevin Feige. It’s a losing bet. He is the house. He will always win.”
When asked about Downey Jr.’s comments, the Russo Brothers don’t believe anything.
“I don’t know how they would do it. I don’t know what the path would be to get there,” Anthony Russo told Gamesradar, expressing uncertainty about how Iron Man could possibly return given the fact that he died fighting Thanos Endgame.
Joe Russo added, “I mean, we closed the book, so it’s up to them to figure out how to reopen it.”
There are currently no public plans to revive Iron Man in the MCU, but given the franchise’s ever-expanding storylines, fans can never rule out surprises.
Downey Jr. is currently on a roll after finally winning his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. The Russo Brothers celebrated his success and Joe said, “His Oscar win was huge.” It’s amazing to live vicariously through Robert, you know, the experience is so profound for him because of the journey he’s been on. I mean, it’s one of the great redemption stories. And he is such a lovely person, such a hard-working person. He’s a generational actor, so this level of recognition for him was, I think, confirmation of his redemption arc.”
Previously, The Russo Brothers also addressed “superhero fatigue” and Marvel Studios’ challenges at the box office last year.
“I think it reflects the current state of everything,” Joe Russo said. “It’s difficult at the moment, it’s an interesting time. I think we’re in a transition period and people don’t know exactly how they’re going to get the stories in the future or what kind of stories they want.”
“There is a big generational difference in the way people consume media. “There is a generation that is used to making an appointment and going to the theater on a certain date to see something, but they are aging,” Joe Russo added. “Meanwhile, the new generation says, ‘I want it now, I want to process it now,’ and then moves on to the next thing that they’re processing while doing two other things at the same time.”
Joe Russo summed up the challenges facing not just Marvel, but the entire entertainment industry as viewer habits and preferences change: “You know, it’s a very different moment than ever before. And that’s why I think everyone, including Marvel, is experiencing the same thing, this transition. And I think that’s probably what’s at play more than anything else.”