The Russo Brothers Famously Pitched Robert Downey Jr. On Captain America 3. How He Paid Back The ‘Resistant’ Duo When Avengers 5 And 6 Came Around (2025)

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Two of the biggest titles on the list of upcoming Marvel movies are the highly discussed Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, which will arrive in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Directing those two flicks are Joe and Anthony Russo, who are making their return to the superhero franchise after being away for a few years. The pair have undertaken large tasks for this IP over the years, including pitching Captain America: Civil War to Robert Downey Jr. Well, in a big, full-circle moment, Downey had to help sell these latest films to the siblings.

Some may assume that the Russo brothers raced back to Marvel Studios in order to direct the next two features to center around Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. However, it would seem that wasn’t actually the case. Joe Russo recalled that when he and his brother were interviewed by Omelete (as seen on YouTube). The filmmaker confirmed that Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom casting pre-dated their involvement with the movies. With that, the A-lister was tasked with helping to lure the filmmakers back into the fold:

That was Kevin [Feige]. And interestingly enough about that, that conversation was had a while ago. And then Robert tried to talk us into doing [Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars]. And we said, no, weirdly, because we said we wouldn’t come back…

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RDJ being the one to pitch paired with the Russos’ “resistant” attitudes combined to make what I’d consider a “shoe is on the other foot” scenario. Years ago, it was the Electric State helmers who pushed for the story that would serve as the basis of 2016’s Civil War (which is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription). Producer Kevin Feige approved of the concept, though, he then tasked the brothers with telling Mr. Downey of their idea to pit his precious Iron Man against Captain America. Ultimately, of course, their mission was successful.

I honestly love the fact that the Tony Stark actor was put in a position where he had to persuade his longtime collaborators and friends of a concept. Not only does it represent a level of irony, but it also signifies just how the Russo brothers’ professional profile has risen. Also, don’t think that the pair initially said no just to mess with their good buddy. As Joe Russo went on to explain, they had a legitimate concern that needed to be alleviated:

We just didn’t have a story. We didn’t have a way in, right? And so we were resistant for a while. And then, one day, Steve McFeely, one of our chief collaborators, said, ‘I have an idea.’ And he called us to pitch, and we went, ‘That’s the story!’ That story has to be told. It’s a really powerful story.

The details of that story are, unsurprisingly, being kept on a need-to-know basis right now. On the whole, what’s known is that the films will see the Avengers facing the threat of Victor von Doom in what seems poised to be a major, multiversal tale of epic proportions. As for their collaboration with Robert Downey Jr. this time around, the Russos have seemingly been enjoying it. They’ve also expressed a lot of confidence in how the actor will portray Doom, even opining that “there’s nobody” else who could play the iconic villain.

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Now that the concepts have been pitched and much of the talent has signed on for the film, production is reportedly set to begin soon. Like so many others, I’m eager to see what RDJ and the Russo brothers deliver. At the same time, I now want to hear about that latest pitch meeting from Robert Downey Jr.’s perspective.