Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have opened up about Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans' final days on the set of Avengers: Endgame, calling the experience 'the end of an era' — even as both stars prepare to return for the franchise's next chapter, Avengers: Doomsday.

The Instagram Post That Started It

The Russo Brothers shared a series of behind-the-scenes images and video clips from the production of Avengers: Endgame on Instagram, accompanied by a heartfelt caption. 'These were Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans' final days on the set of Avengers: Endgame,' they wrote. 'It felt like the end of an era. We never could have imagined that years later, we would be working together again on Avengers: Doomsday. Tomorrow, Endgame returns to the big screen…'

Endgame Encore Hits Theatres on 25 September 2026

Avengers: Endgame, originally released in 2019, returns to cinemas on 25 September 2026 as an 'Encore' release. The re-release includes new footage and an exclusive preview of Avengers: Doomsday, giving audiences a fresh reason to revisit the saga that concluded the Infinity Saga storyline — in which the surviving Avengers and allies reversed Thanos's snap that erased half of all life in the universe.

Avengers: Doomsday — What We Know

On 15 August 2026, the makers of Avengers: Doomsday unveiled a new trailer revealing Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Doctor Doom, set to go head-to-head with Marvel's greatest heroes. The film brings together the Avengers, Wakandans, New Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men from three distinct universes, converging to face an existential threat. Directed once again by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film features a sprawling ensemble cast including Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Sebastian Stan, Joseph Quinn, Letitia Wright, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Kathryn Newton, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, Mabel Cadena, and Tenoch Huerta Mejia.

Why This Moment Resonates

The Russo Brothers' reflections carry particular weight given the magnitude of Endgame's cultural footprint. The 2019 release became one of the highest-grossing films in cinema history, closing out a 22-film narrative arc spanning over a decade. Downey Jr.'s departure as Iron Man and Evans' farewell as Captain America were widely seen as the emotional bookend of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's defining phase. The pair's return — Downey Jr. as a villain, no less — marks an unprecedented pivot in superhero storytelling. With the Endgame Encore now seeding Doomsday footage, Marvel is clearly building anticipation through nostalgia.