Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans' MCU Returns Undermine Endgame

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, long seen as the pillars of the MCU, are set to return in Avengers: Doomsday. Their reappearance has been framed as a step back from the franchise’s effort to move into new territory, relying on familiar faces rather than the fresh characters and stories introduced after Endgame.

Both actors played outsized roles in the franchise: Downey’s comeback arc mirrored Tony Stark’s second-chance story and helped launch the interconnected universe, while Evans’ Steve Rogers provided the steady moral center and transition into a team leader. Their performances anchored the original Avengers and gave the early MCU an underdog spirit that resonated with audiences.

Avengers: Endgame served as a deliberate closing chapter for those characters, offering conclusive, bittersweet endings—Tony Stark’s sacrifice and Steve Rogers’ choice to prioritize himself were presented as earned conclusions to long-running arcs. That sense of finality was meant to pass the torch to a new generation of heroes.

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