As the Captain America: Brave New World release date approaches in less than three months, Marvel fans can look forward to seeing Anthony Mackie leading his first movie as Captain America. But since we learned that Robert Downey Jr. will be the next big Avengers villain, we’re already looking forward to the reunion between the Marvel stars. Mackie recently had a great response to the upcoming matchup, too.
In a newly released interview when Mackie and Danny Ramirez were in Brazil for the country’s own D23, the new Captain America reacted to fighting Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom once the former Iron Man actor takes up the role. In his words:
Robert Downey Jr. has had his ass-kick coming for a long time, and I'm very proud to say he [is] going to get it!
While RDJ was leading the Avengers team to glory against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame back in 2019, oh how the tables have turned. When speaking to Nerdbunker, the Captain America actor joked that the Oscar-winner has earned what’s coming for him when he debuts as Doctor Doom. He’s expected to make his big debut when the Avengers: Doomsday release date arrives in May 2026. His new MCU character is also expected to lead Avengers: Secret Wars, which comes out the following year.
During this summer’s Marvel showing at Hall H during San Diego Comic-Con, the studio shocked audiences when the Iron Man actor made a surprise appearance to announce he’ll be playing Doctor Doom in two upcoming Marvel movies.
While it was previously supposed to be Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror to follow Thanos as the Avengers’ next big villain, after Majors dealt with legal issues and allegations, the MCU decided to pivot to Doctor Doom instead. Since we’re in The Multiverse Saga, there’s something perhaps twistedly poetic about Downey being the team’s next adversary.
Fans have been mixed on Downey’s casting thus far, but there is something kind of fun about the Avengers cast getting to have beef with RDJ and his character after his amazing legacy as Tony Stark. Previously, Anthony Mackie made similar comments when speaking about the Doctor Doom reveal overshadowing the Brave New World footage at SDCC. Mackie joked he hopes he gets to “punch” RDJ in the next Avengers movie.
After Iron Man got an iconic ending with Avengers: Endgame by sacrificing himself for the universe by defeating Thanos after using the Infinity Stones to reverse the villain’s plot, it will certainly be interesting to see the actor get a chance to play a very different role in the MCU. He'll be reuniting with the Russo Brothers for the two Avengers films, which reportedly was a condition for his return.
You can check out Mackie in the latest Captain America: Brave New World trailer ahead of its release on February 14, 2025.
