Summary
The Avengersmovies marked a level of success that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen slip further and further away. Now, new information indicates that Marvel Studios is considering bringing back Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, but it might not be easy.
The Avengerswere the key to the rise of Marvel Studios' MCU franchise. With Robert Downey Jr.‘sIron Mankicking things off in 2008, the franchise would introduce many of its major players before assembling them in 2012’sThe Avengers,starting a series of films that would climax withAvengers: Endgamebecoming the most profitable movie ever. Since that franchise high, things have fallen off even more so than the studio predicted due to a wide range of factors.
WhileAvengers: Endgame’sdirectors defended the MCU’s Phase 4and beyond in light of criticism, recent reports suggest that the higher-ups at Marvel Studios aren’t as fired up about the franchise post-Infinity Saga. According to an insider close toVariety, there has been discussion behind the scenes about doing anotherAvengersmovie - with the original lineup of heroes. Not only would this fly in the face of current plans forAvengers: The Kang DynastyandAvengers: Secret Wars,but it would also involve the resurrection of two prominent Avengers who lost their lives during the events ofEndgame:Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow).
As per the insider, these changes would have the desirable effect of sidestepping Jonathan Majors’ Kang as the MCU’s next big bad, a course of action that was tabled afterAnt-Man 3’s negative reviews shocked Marvel Studiosdespiteit markingthe big-screen debut of Majors' Kang. The prospect can only have gotten more appealing in light of severe legal trouble for Majors, who is currently in a legal battle stemming from accusations of assault and harassment. While the studio and owners at Disney didn’t immediately drop Majors like other employers, the negative press can’t be ignored forever, and an alternative seems inevitable.
The return of the original cast would be a total reversal for Feige, who wanted to go as far askilling off Thor and Captain America inAvengers: Endgamein a move that the Russo brothers described as him trying to take all the OGs off the board. Fortunately, the director duo resisted this nuclear option and led the way to the sufficiently emotional version of events that fans got in theaters. There’s also the issue of barriers to the ambitious revival, including several of the actors in question happy to step away from the MCU and the premium that some of the top stars command for their involvement. Notably, Downey Jr.’s involvement alone is sure to cost north of $25 million at a time when the studio is looking to cut down on production costs.
While bringing back the original Avengers is a major move, it’s sure to be more tempting, withThe Marvelson track to flop on opening weekendand the Disney Plus Marvel projects getting mixed reception even in the best cases. Only time will tell if the studio goes ahead with this and if the magic of the first three phases can even be revived.
TheAvengersfranchise is currently available for streaming on Disney Plus.
MORE:Which Version Of Secret Wars Are MCU Fans Likely To Get?
