Joe & Anthony Russo Reveal It Was Kevin Feige’s Idea For Robert Downey Jr. To Return In Avengers: Doomsday

The two-fold announcement that Avengers: Doomsday would both star Robert Downey Jr. and be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo sent ripples through the Marvel fanbase. The move was perceived as an attempt to recapture the popularity of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, both of which made over $2 billion at the box office, by reuniting the filmmakers and one of the actors that built their success. The twist, however, is that Downey will play the supervillain Doctor Doom instead of reprising his previous role as Iron Man.

Interestingly, Joe Russo revealed to Omelete that not only were the brothers not responsible for the choice to bring Downey back, but they also didn’t initially want to rejoin the MCU themselves. When asked about the choice, he explained:

“That was Kevin [Feige], and interesting enough about that was, that conversation was had a while ago. And then Robert tried to talk us into doing it, and we said ‘no,’ weirdly because we said we wouldn’t come back.”

Russo then emphasized the importance of having a good story, stating that the brothers “were resistant for a while” because they “didn’t have a way in.” He then explained what won them over: “One day, Steve McFeely, one of our key collaborators, said: ‘I have an idea.’ He called us, and we went, ‘That’s the story, that story has to be told. It’s a really powerful story.‘”

Though he kept the details scarce, Russo did reveal what compelled the directors most about Avengers: Doomsday: “We love villains who think they are the heroes of their own stories.“ Per Russo, “that’s when they become three-dimensional and when they become more interesting.“

If the plot of Avengers: Doomsday is as compelling as Russo claimed, it’s no wonder that both the directors and Downey returned. According to Russo, however, “a lot of [their] focus is going” towards making Doctor Doom a strong antagonist for the Avengers. He further explained: “When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a well-shaped, three-dimensional character for the audience.“

Of note, the Russos’ story reveals an interesting factor in their return: the initial idea behind Avengers: Doomsday’s story was not theirs. Throughout the history of the MCU, its films have been made-by-committee, as in, the franchise’s executives have a heavy hand in their ideation and production. Feige pitching Avengers: Doomsday to the Russos may mean the movie will fall under this category.

Regardless of whether the Russos, Feige, or Mc Feely came up with the concept of Avengers: Doomsday, it still has the potential to stick the landing. Downey was the face of the MCU for a decade, and his involvement is likely to draw audiences, though there may be some confusion regarding his switching to a different character. Moreover, the Russos have successfully helmed multiple Avengers films before. Whether Avengers: Doomsday will be a billion-dollar hit remains to be seen, but it’s in safe hands.

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