The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is still searching for direction after a relatively botched Phase 4—partially due to external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic—and a Phase 5 that has also fallen short of expectations. Of the 11 Marvel films released since the spectacular “Avengers: Endgame,” only “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” have managed to deliver both quality and box-office success worldwide. The rest have struggled to justify their existence beyond being part of the larger cinematic framework.
One of Marvel Studios’ many problems is that a significant portion of fans have not embraced the new characters to the same extent as the old guard, led by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America. Thus, it seems logical to meet the audience’s demands by potentially bringing back Downey Jr. in a new role as the villain Doctor Doom and Evans in an as-yet-unconfirmed role. Even a return to their original roles would be no issue in the MCU, thanks to the multiverse.
Against this backdrop, Hollywood star Sterling K. Brown (“Atlas,” “This Is Us”) calling for a complete MCU reboot is all the more surprising. Speaking to Variety about his new series Paradise, the 48-year-old also reflected on his only Marvel appearance in Black Panther. He suggested that the MCU should restart every few years:
“I think Marvel should be like Law & Order. After a certain number of years, you have to reboot, and then you can come back. I’d love to return to the Marvel Universe, absolutely. Please bring me back. Please, please. Thank you.”
Whether Brown’s suggestion will resonate with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige remains unclear. The return of Robert Downey Jr. in a completely new role or Disney’s willingness to double-cast actors—like Gemma Chan as Sersi in Eternals and Dr. Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel—suggests that Disney isn’t too strict about such matters.
“Black Panther” Star Wants a Reboot for Financial Security
Sterling K. Brown’s call for a reboot, in the hope of returning in a new and potentially recurring role, has a pragmatic motivation, as the actor himself explained:
“With these franchises, you can actually think about retirement. You get into a franchise, and it’s something you can make a few movies with and to which people keep returning. That means you can breathe a little easier and not feel like you have to work all the time. I’m not saying that’s where I am right now, but it allows for a big sigh of relief.”
Brown refers to the fact that most actors in Hollywood just barely make ends meet. The so-called working actors and actresses, unlike Hollywood stars with multimillion-dollar salaries, have to run from audition to audition and fight for even the smallest roles to get by—regardless of how familiar they may be to film fans. This issue was recently highlighted by Djimon Hounsou as well.
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom: A Big Name for the MCU Villains List
Bringing Robert Downey Jr. back as Doctor Doom would be another high-profile addition to the growing list of MCU villains.
