Without a doubt, the biggest news coming out of San Diego Comic-Con this year came from the Marvel Studios panel. That’s when it was announced that the Russo Brothers were returning to the MCU to direct both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” with Robert Downey, Jr. returning as a new character—Doctor Doom. And now that the dust settled, Variety is here to give us a rundown about how it all came about.
According to Variety, it’s going to cost a pretty penny for Marvel Studios to bring back the Russo Brothers and Robert Downey, Jr. However, it appears that Marvel had no choice. If the studio wanted RDJ to take over as Doctor Doom, it’s part of a package deal with the Russos, basically. The report claims that Robert Downey, Jr. would only return to the MCU if the Russo Brothers directed both upcoming ‘Avengers’ films.
And the report outlines how much money it reportedly took to bring back the Russos. Apparently, Marvel Studios is shelling out a reported $80 million to the Russo Brothers for both ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars.’ And if you’re curious how much it’s going to cost to bring back Downey, Jr. the report only says that it’s “significantly more” than the paycheck for the directors.
Another note from the report that is of interest—it appears that Marvel Studios is allowing AGBO (founded by the Russos) co-produce the upcoming ‘Avengers’ films. That’s an incredibly rare thing in the MCU. Typically, Marvel Studios is the only producer of the films. But it’s not the first time this has happened. Looking at the opening credits of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort production company is credited in the film. So, perhaps Marvel is just becoming a bit more open.
Ultimately, it seems as if Marvel Studios is forking over quite a bit of money to get the ‘Avengers’ films delivered. Here’s to hoping that it all works out. If ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ are even close to as big as ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame,’ then these paydays will look like a steal.
The first new ‘Avengers’ film, ‘Doomsday,’ is scheduled to release in May 2026.