Jeremy Renner says his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be on pause for now—but not necessarily over. Appearing on The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1 FM to promote the latest season of “Mayor of Kingstown” and his memoir about his recovery from his 2023 snowplow accident, Renner was asked directly if he would appear in “Avengers: Doomsday” or “Avengers: Secret Wars.” The actor’s response was simple: “No.”
Renner also mentioned that Marvel Studios had “big plans” for Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror before the actor departed from the franchise (“Avengers: Doomsday” was initially known as “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty”). “I know they had big plans for that character,” he said, calling the situation “unfortunate” and noting that “due diligence really has to be played out.”
Majors was convicted in December 2023 of misdemeanor assault and harassment stemming from a domestic incident. In response, Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company announced on the same day that he would be removed from all its upcoming projects. The actor had been set to anchor the MCU’s next phase as Kang across films such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Still, those plans were rewritten with his role diminished or eliminated entirely.
While Renner appears content to let the next Avengers era unfold without him, he hasn’t closed the door on returning as Clint Barton/Hawkeye elsewhere. During the conversation, Renner also addressed the ongoing talks about a second season of “Hawkeye.” When asked about reports that Marvel had reduced his salary, he clarified, “Not because of a snowplow [incident]. No, it’s just, guys, if they want to do season two and they just offered half the amount to do season two, I’m like, ‘Yeah, of course, I’d love to do it. But it’s going to take a lot of physical work to get back into it. And also just the timing, because it would take a little bit more time for me to physically do the role.”
He went on to explain that recovery remains a factor, but that he hasn’t ruled out returning: “Maybe I just wasn’t ready last year. Maybe it’ll happen in a year or two to come, because I’m still in recovery right now. It will be for the rest of my life, but I’m just getting stronger every day.”
In a separate interview with The Playlist this week, he said conversations about a second season of “Hawkeye” are ongoing and expressed confidence that it will happen. “We got to where we’re trying to do the second season … and it’s gonna be great,” Renner said.
“Avengers: Doomsday” is currently slated for 2026, with “Avengers: Secret Wars” following in 2027—two massive ensemble projects expected to close out Marvel’s Multiverse Saga.
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2008. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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