Robert Downey Jr. & Chris Evans' Avengers: Doomsday Returns

Both Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, demonstrating that Marvel has not yet encountered a formidable obstacle. Given that Avengers: Doomsday is not scheduled for release until 2026, the film's plot details are generally still somewhat sparse. But that hasn't stopped Marvel Studios from revealing a number of shocking details about the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, including the return of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., as well as the involvement of The Fantastic Four.

Avengers: Doomsday is at the top of the long list as interest in Marvel's next films grows. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.'s participation is intriguing for a variety of reasons, including RDJ's sinister transformation as Doctor Doom, but it also draws attention to the significant obstacle that Marvel Studios has yet to overcome. It is unclear if this issue will be addressed in the franchise's future, but Avengers: Doomsday will not do so because two MCU icons have been confirmed to star.

No Avengers film has ever been produced by Marvel Studios without the main cast.

The problem lies in the fact that Marvel Studios has yet to produce an Avengers film that does not feature all six of the original actors, or at least most of them. The original six Avengers from the 2012 film of the same name—Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner—made appearances in all three of the sequels, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. The latter was followed by the deaths or retirements of several of the original characters, which led many to believe that the Multiverse Saga would bring in the New Avengers.

This, however, never materialized. With Evans and RDJ returning, Avengers: Doomsday will be the first Avengers film since Endgame. Since Hemsworth's Thor, Ruffalo's Hulk, and Renner's Hawkeye are all still playing in the MCU, the only cast member missing is Scarlett Johansson. Given that Evans and RDJ have been confirmed to return, Johansson may also do so given the current multiversal nature of the MCU.

It should be noted that this is not always a bad thing. On the surface, the notion of Evans and RDJ making a comeback as distinct iterations of their well-known roles or as entirely new characters is quite alluring and, with the right handling, could be fantastic. Longtime MCU viewers will also find it quite satisfying to see the two interact on-screen once more, along with their former Avengers allies. Nevertheless, the fact that there hasn't been an Avengers film in the MCU without the main ensemble puts further strain on upcoming releases.

Returning Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans to the Avengers: Doomsday Indicates That Avengers 6 or 7 Will Be the First to Not Include the Original Actors

With Evans and RDJ returning for Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars or Avengers 7 will be the first to not include the founding cast members of the franchise. Since Avengers 6 is anticipated to be a direct sequel to Avengers: Doomsday, it is admittedly unlikely to be this story. Moreover, RDJ's portrayal of Doctor Doom, the main character of the comic book run of the same name, served as the inspiration for Avengers: Secret Wars. The original six Avengers actors are likely to make an appearance because of this, the multiversal possibilities, and the fact that the movie marks the culmination of the Multiverse Saga.

As a result, Avengers 7, whenever it is released, will probably be the first MCU film to feature stars who have not returned. Other MCU characters, such as Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, Tom Holland's Spider-Man, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, or Anthony Mackie's Captain America, might take center stage as the New Avengers' commanders as a result. If this occurs, it will at least be following the publication of Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, which will serve as the catalyst for a new cast that does not include the original six actors and their well-known roles.

The big question of Avengers: Doomsday has been postponed by the MCU for one of the upcoming installments of the series.

In light of this, the major question of how the Avengers films would appear without the franchise's main cast members has been postponed past Avengers: Doomsday. Many believed that the initial idea for Avengers 5, The Kang Dynasty, would provide an answer to this conundrum, enabling Avengers: Secret Wars to be a hybrid of the old and the new. But because of the problems with Kang actor Jonathan Majors, The Kang Dynasty was remade into Avengers: Doomsday, and the famous actors from the MCU were cast once more.

The question of how the franchise will do without players like Evans, Downey Jr., Hemsworth, Renner, Johannson, and Ruffalo has merely been postponed as a result of this. Marvel would have had the ideal opportunity to address this issue and assess viewer reaction to an Avengers film that focused on a new lineup during phases four and five. This was not the case with Avengers, though, as Doomsday merely served to postpone the issue. Marvel's response to the challenge is yet unknown, but at least we know it won't happen anytime soon.