Avengers: Doomsday is already said to be facing behind-the-scenes issues, with reports of actor conflicts and reshoots underway.
It’s claimed that Robert Downey Jr. demanded reshootsand that the BTS issues with the actors are due to a clash of egos.
What are the rumors?
Downey Jr. Demanded Full Reshoots
On the latest episode of The Hot Mic, Jeff Sneider claims that production on Avengers: Doomsday faced major setbacks involving Robert Downey Jr.
Sneider said Disney initially filmed three weeks of material with stand-ins for Downey inside the Doctor Doom suit, while the actor read lines off-camera.
According to Sneider, Downey wasn’t satisfied with the results. After two to three weeks, he pushed to reshoot the entire block of scenes with himself in the suit:
“I’ve heard that even though they paid [Robert Downey Jr.] $50-60 million a movie, [Disney’s] had to reshoot for three weeks. They reshot three weeks worth of material because apparently–this is just what I heard–they had an actor standing-in for Downey Jr. In the [Doctor Doom] suit. They had a body double and they had a face double and Downey stood off-camera reading the lines, okay. And apparently, after two or three weeks, he was like ‘This isn’t working. I want to reshoot everything with me in the suit.'”
Tension on the Doomsday Set
Sneider also compared the atmosphere on the Avengers: Doomsday set to the behind-the-scenes chaos of the Fast & Furious franchise.
He suggested there were ego clashes, testosterone-driven disputes, and disagreements over creative direction:
“The dysfunction I’ve heard on [the Doomsday] set is rivaled only by that of Fast and Furious movies. I mean, we’ve alluded to an incident BTS early this year that I did not want to go details on and it was probably more you know, someone made it sound more dramatic to me than it really was, but…yeah, I think again, there’s just a lot of testosterone and a lot of ego on that set. A lot of people who think they know what way is the best way. In the end, there’s only one person’s way who matters and that’s actually Robert Downey Jr.’s way.”
What It Means for Avengers: Doomsday
If true, the reshoots reveal just how much power Robert Downey Jr. holds over Avengers: Doomsday and how much the film’s success depends on the actor’s return to the MCU.
With Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and now Fantastic Four all flopping, Marvel could be in full panic mode. Reports also suggest Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool were brought into Doomsday to help steady the ship, highlighting the pressure the studio is under to get this one right.
With Avengers: Doomsday being one of Marvel’s biggest upcoming releases, all eyes will be on whether these behind-the-scenes issues translate to the screen.
Release info
Avengers: Doomsday is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The movie hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
The cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Tom Hiddleston, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Danny Ramirez, Hannah John-Kamen, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, Channing Tatum, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Lewis Pullman, and Robert Downey Jr. – with 33 more rumored.
