Marvel Goes All In: Downey Jr. and Russo Brothers Return for Massive Avengers Gamble

Studio shells out big bucks to reunite the winning team as it looks to reverse fortunes after a rocky year.

In a bid to revitalize its flagging franchise, Marvel is pulling out all the stops. The studio is bringing back its golden goose, Robert Downey Jr., to reprise his iconic role as Iron Man, and reuniting him with the directing duo behind its biggest hits, the Russo brothers.

Downey Jr. is set to embody the formidable Doctor Doom in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” while the Russo brothers will helm both films. This power move comes at a steep price, with sources revealing that Marvel is paying Downey Jr. a “significantly more” than the $80 million it’s shelling out for the directing duo.

The decision to bring back Downey Jr. and the Russos marks a departure from Marvel’s usual in-house approach. The studio is also offering the actor an extravagant deal, complete with private jet travel and top-tier security.

This high-stakes gamble comes after a challenging year for Marvel. The underperformance of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels” coupled with the departure of Jonathan Majors from the Kang the Conqueror role has left the studio scrambling to rebuild its future.

With the Avengers franchise at a crossroads, Marvel is hoping that the familiar faces of Downey Jr. and the Russo brothers can restore its cinematic dominance.