Subscribe
Follow Us
Currently, former Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. is on Broadway, leading a production of McNeal, and his Avengers: Endgame directors and co-star came to see him.
The Russo brothers took to Instagram to share an image backstage at Lincoln Center. They attended one of Downey's recent performances along with Josh Brolin, who played Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and Donald Mustard.
View this post on Instagram
“Doom and Thanos walk into Lincoln Center,” the Russo brothers' caption read. “We had the privilege of watching the magnificent [Robert Downey Jr.] in [McNeal] at [the Lincoln Center Theater] last night.”
All five men were smiling in the picture. This is a far cry from Downey and Brolin's face-offs in the Marvel movies. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey) and Thanos were fierce enemies, facing off in Infinity War and Endgame.
Perhaps this is a subtle hint at Thanos returning to Marvel in a future Avengers movie. After all, Downey will be returning to the franchise in a new role, playing Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway debut
Either way, it is great to see Marvel alumni supporting each other. Downey stars in McNeal, his Broadway debut, as Jacob McNeal.
It opened on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York. McNeal was written by Ayad Akhtar and directed by Bartlett Sher. The play's run will end on November 24, 2024.
His Marvel return
After a half-decade, Downey was announced to be returning to Marvel at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). At the event, the Russo brothers were first announced as the directors of Avengers: Doomsday.
They then revealed Downey would return to the franchise as Victor von Doom. He will first appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps before being in Doomsday and its sequel, Secret Wars.
Downey previously played Tony Stark/Iron Man and was the anchor of the MCU for over a decade. He kicked things off in 2008 with the MCU's inaugural movie, Iron Man.
He would subsequently lead two more solo movies and four Avengers movies. Downey also appeared in The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
After his initial Marvel run, Downey took on varied roles, his first being in Dolittle. Downey also executive produced the reboot, which features A-list actors such as Antonio Banderas, John Cena, Rami Malek, Tom Holland, Selena Gomez, and Ralph Fiennes.
He then produced and appeared in a documentary, “Sr.,” about his father, Robert Downey Sr. He followed it up with a role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.
For his performance, Downey won his first Oscar. This nomination was the third time he was nominated for the award. His first nomination came in 1993 for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin.
Over a decade later, Downey received another nomination (this time for Best Supporting Actor) in Tropic Thunder. Oppenheimer finally gave Downey his long-awaited Oscar win in 2024.
Additionally, he executive produced and starred in The Sympathizer, playing five roles in the HBO series. The series was co-created by Park Chan-wook.
