Disney
Marvel Studios has reportedly had internal discussions about reviving characters such as Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow for a new Avengers movie.
The report from Variety indicates that while the idea has not yet been committed to, it stems from both Jonathan Majors’ arrest and subsequent court case, and the performance of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which already had the studio considering moving away from a Majors-led Phase
With [Disney CEO] Bob Iger publicly acknowledging the downside of a Marvel TV glut that “diluted focus and attention,” the keepers of the comic book empire are considering some dramatic moves.
Sources say there have been talks to bring back the original gang for an Avengers movie. This would include reviving Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, both of whom were killed off in Endgame.
Furthermore, Marvel Studios could apparently pivot to famed Fantastic Four nemesis Doctor Doom if they abandon Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the next ‘big bad’ in the franchise.
Even before Majors’ legal troubles, a source says that Marvel was already considering going in a different direction following both the critical and commercial response to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
“It gave people pause given that Quantumania didn’t exactly land,” a source said.
While getting Downey Jr back into the fold won’t come cheap — the Variety report notes he was paid $25 million upfront — now might be the perfect time to get the 58-year-old back in the Iron Man suit, as he’s likely on the verge of winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Oppenheimer.
Going back to the likes of Downey Jr. and Johansson is basically like the movie studio version of Thanos’ iconic quote from 2019’s record-breaking Avengers: Endgame: “You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”
Marvel’s troubles are apparently going to get worse before they get better, however, as the upcoming season two finale of Loki, which airs on November 9, apparently only further positions Majors’ Kang as the next “big bad” of the franchise.
“Marvel is truly f—– with the whole Kang angle,” a source said.
The next episode of Loki, the penultimate of season two, will be hitting Disney+ on Thursday, November 2 at 9 p.m. EST.