Anthony Mackie Is Finally Getting the Robert Downey Jr. Showdown He’s Always Wanted in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY
Anthony Mackie has been waiting for his chance to throw down with Robert Downey Jr., and he’s finally getting his wish in Marvel’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The only catch? Instead of fighting Iron Man, Mackie’s Captain America will be facing Downey as the MCU’s newest major villain, Doctor Doom.
During an interview with SYFY Wire while promoting the audio production Exoplanet, Mackie shared his excitement about the upcoming confrontation, saying, “I’ve always wanted to fight Robert Downey Jr.”
Well, it looks like he's getting his shot. Downey’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom was a big surprise to fans, and he will pose a major threat to heroes across the multiverse.
For Sam Wilson, that means stepping into another massive fight while continuing to establish himself as Captain America.
According to Mackie, Avengers: Doomsday picks up just months after the events of Captain America: Brave New World, with Sam determined to bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes back together before things get completely out of hand.
Mackie explained, “Basically, you find Cap coming off the heels of Captain America: Brave New World and being invested in the idea of getting the Avengers together to fight this mortal doom. You find him literally months after Brave New World coming into this new expedition and getting the Avengers back together, getting the crew back together.”
Sam is taking responsibility for rebuilding the Avengers and leading them against a villain powerful enough to threaten the entire multiverse. Of course, getting everyone on the same page might be a challenge.
Sam will find himself crossing paths with Bucky Barnes again, with Sebastian Stan returning to the role. Following the events of Thunderbolts, Bucky is now associated with a team calling itself the New Avengers, which could make Sam's attempts to assemble his own crew a little complicated.
There's also the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, meaning we'll have two Captain Americas involved in the same movie. Marvel hasn't revealed exactly how Steve fits into the story, but his presence should make for an interesting dynamic with Sam.
Directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, who previously delivered Avengers: Infinity War, are back to handle the massive Marvel crossover. With Downey playing Doctor Doom and heroes from different corners of the MCU coming together, they've certainly got plenty to work with.
Marvel is still keeping Doom's ultimate plans and the larger story under wraps, including how all these different superhero teams will come together.
What makes Mackie's potential showdown with Downey so much fun is the history between these actors. They spent years in the MCU playing heroes on the same side, even when the Avengers weren't exactly getting along. Now Mackie gets to face the actor who helped launch the entire franchise, only this time he's the enemy.
But, with Sam having absolutely zero powers, it won’t be much of a fight. Doom will easily obliterate him with his pinky finger. Sorry Anthony, Sam is going to die!
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.