According to a new report from Variety, Marvel is considering a dramatic-sounding option to help revive the MCU. Nothing is locked down, and it might be wishful thinking, but sources told the site that Marvel is mulling the possibility of getting the band back together for an Avengers team-up movie featuring major characters who died in previous films.
According to the report, a future Avengers movie could bring back Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, even though both characters died in Avengers: Endgame. Resurrecting characters is nothing new in the comic book world thanks in part to the multiverse and timelines. But, importantly, Variety noted that Marvel “hasn’t yet committed to the idea.” And even if Marvel does move ahead with this plan, costs might be an issue.
Variety reminds us that Downey Jr.’s fee is known to be $20 million or more to appear in the MCU as Iron Man. Johansson, meanwhile, had a high-profile lawsuit against Disney/Marvel over the movie Black Widow (where her reported appearance fee of $20 million came to light). In April this year, Johansson said she was “done” with Marvel. She added that the original Avengers film felt like a “sausage party” given how many more men there were than women.