Downey Jr. backs Thunderbolts as next-gen Avengers in private MCU screening

Robert Downey Jr. calls the Thunderbolts the “New Avengers” after a private Marvel screening with Doomsday castmates.

Robert Downey Jr. and several Avengers: Doomsday cast members are showing support for Marvel’s upcoming antihero team-up film Thunderbolts, calling the cast the “New Avengers” following a private screening.

Downey, who portrayed Iron Man until 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, shared Instagram photos featuring himself alongside MCU co-stars including Paul Rudd, Simu Liu, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Channing Tatum, Winston Duke, and Anthony Mackie. The post celebrated the Thunderbolts team and praised the film as “cool, fresh, and deep.” Downey added, “Dinner and a show with the Old Avengers. So cool, fresh, and deep. Big congrats.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr)

In a major twist, Downey is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe not as Tony Stark, but as the iconic villain Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, a casting move that has fans buzzing.

Thunderbolts features Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), and Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) in a grittier, more grounded team dynamic. Despite his long MCU tenure, Stan's inclusion suggests a blend of old and new within Marvel’s evolving ensemble.

Jeremy Renner, not pictured and not currently attached to Doomsday, chimed in on social media with clapping emojis. This follows recent comments where he cited a pay dispute for not returning to Hawkeye season two.

The fan response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many eager to see how these new dynamics play out in Marvel’s Phase 5.