Disney Wants To Resurrect 2 Major Marvel Heroes For New Avengers Movie
Disney could potentially make a major retcon with its new "Avengers" movie.
Marvel Studios is in an extremely weird (and potentially desperate) situation right now. After the $2 billion success that was "Avengers: Endgame," the company was humming with excitement as it looked toward the future. With the advent of Disney+, the studio began to diversify its offerings, debuting projects like "WandaVision" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" to populate the streaming service. They began digging deep into the archives, greenlighting films based on lesser-known properties like "Eternals" and "Shang-Chi." But Marvel's luck seems to have run out, as its offerings are receiving unprecedented criticism.
From poor CGI to inconsequential storytelling, Marvel is no longer the juggernaut it used to be in the eyes of the public ... and interest is waning. According to Variety, sources say Marvel and Disney might be interested in making a major, consequential decision. In the report — which highlights Marvel's various woes and existential worries — the outlet notes that the studio may be interested in resurrecting Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) for a future "Avengers" movie.
Both Avengers ceremoniously died in "Endgame," sacrificing their lives to save humanity. The report also adds that there's intention to bring the "original gang" back for a future "Avengers" flick, though only Downey Jr. and Johansson are explicitly mentioned. Seeing as Marvel's clout is reducing, bringing back Downey Jr. and Johansson feels like a "break in case of emergency" decision that could diminish the impact of "Endgame."
Is bringing Iron Man and Black Widow back worth it?
While nothing is confirmed, it is sort of baffling that Disney and Marvel Studios are considering bringing back Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson not even five years after they "retired" from their roles in "Avengers: Endgame." The deaths of Iron Man and Black Widow served as the emotional heart of the 2019 superhero flick, and it'll be interesting to see if Marvel can convince audiences to jump on board for their return.
When it came to Iron Man's death, audiences weren't just saying goodbye to the character. Tony Stark's sacrifice is completely meta in nature, with the character's final words being "I am Iron Man" as he snaps his fingers to whisk away Thanos. In a way, audiences were saying farewell to Downey Jr. and his decade-long relationship with Marvel Studios. While Scarlett Johansson returned as Black Widow for a 2021 solo outing, that film served as a prequel, giving further insight into her familial life. Since then, Black Widow's death has become a key part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly when it comes to the arc of her surrogate sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh).
If Marvel decides to move forward with the resurrection, it'll no doubt post major profits. However, it's a decision that would essentially eliminate all sense of consequentiality in the franchise, cementing the fact that anyone — even the most prominent actors in the series — can be brought back ... even if they fry themselves to death or fall off a mythical cliff.
Will Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson actually return?
Will Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson return as their Avengers characters? Anything is possible, but the actors have previously expressed disinterest with the idea of jumping back into the MCU. When asked by Joe Rogan in 2020 if he'd be willing to return as Iron Man, Downey Jr. asked the podcaster a loaded question: "Let me ask you the question: If I picked the jersey back up and put it on, wouldn't you feel a little like, 'Oh crap'?" Similarly, while appearing on the "goop Podcast" in 2023 with fellow Marvel star Gwyneth Paltrow, Johansson discussed how she was done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "I'm done. Yes, I'm done. Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do," the Black Widow actor said.
Of course, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige could prove to be persuasive (and financially generous), convincing the two to return for a future "Avengers" project. The next film in the "Avengers" franchise is set to be 2026's "The Kang Dynasty." While it remains to be seen what that film looks like (considering Kang actor Jonathan Majors may have his role reduced in the series after his arrest), the introduction of variants could help bring Iron Man and Black Widow back. In comic books, characters are killed and brought back all the time, so it makes sense that the films would want to take cues from the source material.