Robert Downey Jr. has a message for every Marvel fan who has been waiting to believe again. And he delivered it in the most Tony Stark way possible.
During a special screening of Avengers: Infinity War at SXSW London 2026, Downey crashed a post-film panel featuring Winston Duke, Anthony Mackie, and the Russo brothers. The screening itself was a nostalgia exercise, a reminder of what the MCU looked like at its absolute peak. But Downey did not show up just to reminisce. He came with something to say about what comes next.
Robert Downey Jr. Addresses the MCU’s Recent Struggles Head-On
Introducing himself to the crowd, Downey said, “Hi, I used to play Tony and then you lost me right after this one,” a nod to Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame. It was a sharp, self-aware opener from someone who understands exactly how much goodwill he carries with fans. Then he got serious.
“We can’t beat it, we can’t stand on the shoulders of these giants of Infinity War and Endgame,” Downey told the crowd. “So we’re literally zeroing out the board and we’re going to try to earn your trust and respect all over again. With the likes of Joe and Anthony Russo, I think we’ve got a pretty good shot.”
It is a remarkably candid acknowledgment. The Multiverse Saga, which ran from 2021 through 2023, was widely seen as a low point for the franchise. Audiences grew fatigued, box office returns disappointed, and the goodwill built through the Infinity Saga eroded faster than Marvel expected. Downey is not pretending that it did not happen.
He also settled another debate while he had the room. When Joe Russo asked him directly whether Doctor Doom or Thanos is more powerful, Downey did not hesitate: “Doctor Doom.” Given that Doom commands both science and magic, it is hard to argue with the logic.
Avengers: Doomsday is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars expected to follow in December 2027. For now, Downey’s words are the clearest sign yet that this team knows the stakes and is not taking the assignment lightly.
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