Kevin Feige told DiscussingFilm that Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine in the new Marvel movie “Deadpool & Wolverine” proves that the door could definitely open for Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Iron Man or Captain America, respectively.
“That’s the key, right? How do you do it in a way that preserves what came before, and in a way that’s cool? We’ve spent, you know, the last couple of years figuring that out for Wolverine,” Feige said when asked about Downey and Evans returning. “So, what’s coming? We’ll see. We’re just proud that we, I think, figured that out for Wolverine. I think Hugh’s presence and his major role in [‘Deadpool & Wolverine’] “It's a great sign that it can be done – if a great deal of care is taken.”
Both Downey and Evans exited the franchise in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” which notably marked the death of Downey as Iron Man/Tony Stark. Jackman’s on-screen character Logan/Wolverine in the “X-Men” films dating back to 2000 also died in 2017’s critically acclaimed “Logan,” and Jackman was never interested in returning as the character because it would risk interfering with that film’s legacy. The actor assured fans from the moment his return as Wolverine was announced that he wouldn’t mess with the “Logan” timeline.
“It’s all thanks to this device that they use in the Marvel universe to travel through timelines,” Jackman told SiriusXM in December 2022. “Now we can go back because, you know, it’s science. So I don’t have to mess with the timeline of Logan, which is important to me. And I think it’s important to the fans, too.”
Jackman plays a different version of Wolverine than the one that made him a global star, so perhaps the same could be true for Downey and Iron Man/Tony Stark in the future? Feige confirmed to Vanity Fair last December that, like Jackman and Logan, he had no interest in manipulating Downey’s exit in Avengers: Endgame.
“We're going to treasure that moment and never touch it again,” Feige said at the time of Iron Man's death. “We've all worked so hard for so many years to get there, and we're never going to want to take that back in any way.”
However, Downey himself has been quite vocal this year about his interest in returning to Marvel. Speaking to Esquire after winning his Oscar for “Oppenheimer,” the actor was asked if he would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that he was officially an Oscar winner. The actor didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“Luckily, it’s part of my DNA,” Downey said. “This role chose me. I always say, ‘Never bet against Kevin Feige.’ He’s a losing bet. He’s the home run. He’ll always win.”
“Avengers” director Donnie Anthony and Joe Russo are currently in talks to direct Marvel's next two “Avengers” movies, but they've expressed confusion in the past about how their former star would return after killing off Iron Man in “Endgame.”
“I don’t know how they’re going to do it,” Anthony said. “I don’t know what path they’re going to take.”
“I mean, we've closed that book so it's up to them to figure out how to reopen it,” Joe added.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which hits theaters on July 26.
