Superhero homecoming: 5 actors who returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

In a move that's sending shockwaves of excitement through the Marvel fandom, actor Robert Downey Jr is set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

There is a buzz around several new projects which bring back more of our favourite characters. We look at a few actors who are having a homecoming moment at the studio.

Robert Downey Jr.

Actor Robert Downey Jr is all set to return to the Marvel superhero world after five years. But not as Iron Man, which launched the blockbuster franchise.

The actor will return as Dr Victor Von Doom, a villain in the comic books that spawned the popular film series. He will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which is due to be released in May 2026, and a further instalment titled Secret Wars a year later. The news was shared at the Comic-Con event in San Diego.

Hugh Jackman

Actor Hugh Jackman got his emotional goodbye in the 2017 James Mangold-directed Logan. He had repeatedly said that he would not be returning as the X-Men again. However, the actor reprised his role in Deadpool & Wolverine.

"For Deadpool and Wolverine to come back together. I swear to you, When I said I was done, I really thought I was done. But in the back of my head, ever since I saw Deadpool 1, I was like, 'Those two characters together.' I knew it, I knew the fans wanted it ever since I put on the claws, people talked about these two. So, that had always been there, but I just knew," Hugh told Fandango.

Chris Evans

Actor Chris Evans may return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to reports, the actor has signed on for Avengers: Secret Wars. For the unversed, Avengers: Endgame ended with Steve Rogers aka Captain America riding off into the sunset as an old man. However, reports suggest that he might not return as Captain America, but a short cameo as ageing Steve Rogers.

Wesley Snipes

Wesley Snipes reprised his role as Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine. He first played the vampire hunter in 1998, and he went on to return to the role for Blade II (2002) and Blade: Trinity (2004). He agreed to reprise his role in the Deadpool & Wolverine movie after a call from Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds.

"I didn't think that Marvel was into it, Disney was into it — also because they had Mahershala cast for the next upcoming version of it. I thought it didn't make sense to me, but [when] you get a call from Ryan Reynolds out of the blue after 20 years, you go, 'Okay, I got to take this call. Let's see what this is about'. He told me the idea... They said 'yes' and 'it's a go.' 'If you're in, we're in.' Here we are," Wesley told Entertainment Weekly.

Scarlett Johansson

Actor Scarlett Johansson, popular for her Black Widow avatar in the Avenger world, is involved in a top-secret Marvel project. It was unknown whether it would be a live-action movie, or a TV series, or even an animated project. Not much information is out about the project.

Sometime back, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed the same in an interview with ET, saying, "We're doing a project with Scarlett". Scarlett also commented on this top-secret project in an interview with ComicBook back in 2023. She said, "It is still happening". There is also a possibility of a Black Widow standalone series.