Old Avengers Celebrate New Heroes in the MCU

In a heartwarming gesture, the “Old Avengers,” including Robert Downey Jr., Paul Rudd, and Anthony Mackie, extended their congratulations to the stars of “Thunderbolts.” Dubbed the “New Avengers,” this salute comes in light of the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Avengers: Doomsday.” Downey, who portrayed Tony Stark until 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” took to Instagram to post photos featuring himself alongside several familiar faces from Phase Three of the MCU. This gathering followed a screening of “Thunderbolts,” which features Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and Sebastian Stan in roles as a diverse ensemble of antiheroes, who largely lack the superhuman abilities of the original Avengers.

“Dinner and a show with the Old Avengers. So cool, fresh, and deep. Big congrats,” Downey wrote in his post, revealing his anticipation to return to the MCU in a new role as Doctor Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday.” The photos capture moments with actors like Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (portraying Thing in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”), Channing Tatum (Gambit), Anthony Mackie (transitioning from Falcon to Captain America), and Winston Duke (known for his role as M’Baku in the “Black Panther” films). “Thunderbolts” also marks the comeback of Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, a familiar face in the MCU since 2011, though technically not a “new” Avenger.

While Jeremy Renner isn’t present in the photos, nor listed in “Doomsday’s” cast, he chimed in with a comment of four clapping emojis. Fans were quick to react, humorously offering to cover half of his salary should he reprise his role as Hawkeye. This playful exchange alludes to Renner’s recent explanation, where he shared that he declined a second season of the Disney+ Hawkeye series due to a pay dispute.