Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has addressed the rumors about Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson returning to reprise their roles as Iron Man and Black Widow in future Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
In an interview at the premiere of the upcoming film The Marvels, Feige stated that despite last week’s reports, there have been no actual discussions within Marvel about bringing back the original Avengers cast members.
“We did not discuss that and that is the truth,” Feige clarified.
While not ruling it out completely, he indicated any Avengers returns are not confirmed at this time:
“We’re doing a project with Scarlett. I love Robert, he’s part of the family. But in terms of returning, we’ll have to see.”
Feige’s comments suggest Marvel has made no concrete plans yet regarding Downey or Johansson reprising their famous roles following the deaths of Iron Man and Black Widow in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
However, Scarlett Johansson does have a previously announced behind-the-scenes project with Marvel Studios still in development, where she will serve as a producer.
The ability to bring back the original Avengers would likely be complex and expensive, given the major salaries Downey and Johansson had been earning for their Marvel film appearances.
For now, fans will have to wait and see if any concrete plans emerge for Iron Man or Black Widow to return to the big screen. Chris Evans was also reportedly coming back and has been reached out to return as Human Torch in the MCU. He also hinted his return in the past as Captain America, so we can’t say for sure. Both RDJ and Chris Evans are the highest paid marvel actors till now.
The next Marvel Studios film, The Marvels starring Brie Larson, opens in theaters on November 10.