Jeremy Renner says pal and fellow Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. kept his Marvel return as Dr. Doom a secret from him.

Jeremy Renner was shocked Robert Downey Jr. kept his Marvel return from him

Jeremy Renner was shocked Robert Downey Jr. kept his Marvel return from him

The 53-year-old actor was left in the dark about Downey's return to the MCU and couldn't believe he kept it from him.

He told Us Weekly: “I had no idea.

“This son of a b**** didn't say anything to me, and we're good friends.”

Renner messaged the ‘Avengers' WhatsApp group, which also includes Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), in a bid to get to the truth.

He relayed: “I'm like, ‘What's going on? Are you hiding this from us?' I don't know.

“That's exciting news, man. I'm really, really excited about it.”

As for Renner reprising his role of Hawkeye - he didn't rule it out.

He said: “I'm excited about it. We'll see. I think we'll probably be doing it.

“We'll have to figure it out. It's all brand new. It all just happened. They just made the announcement, so I guess we got to start figuring it all out.”

Last month, 59-year-old Downey - who played Iron Man from the eponymous 2008 flick until the character's gut-wrenching death in 2019’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’ - was unveiled as the villainous Victor Von Doom aka Dr. Doom in the upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday' and 'Avengers: Secret Wars' at Comic Con.

The presentation saw Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirm Anthony and Joe Russo would be returning to the franchise to direct 'Doomsday', and they explained the film would lead towards an adaptation of the popular comic-book 'Secret Wars', but not before the return of a familiar face.

More than 20 people in olive green robes and masks assembled on the stage, before Joe Russo teased: “If we’re going to bring Victor Von Doom to the screen — he is one of the more complex characters in all of comics … this is potentially one of the more entertaining characters in all of fiction.

“If we’re going to do this … then we are going to need the greatest actor in the world.

“As proof of the unimaginable possibilities of the Marvel Universe, we give you the one person who could play Victor von Doom…”

Downey, in a brighter green outfit, then stepped forward and removed his headgear to screams from the crowd.

He quipped: “New mask, same task.

"What did I tell ya? I like playing complicated characters."

Two years ago, the next instalment was announced as 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty' and would have starred Jonathan Majors as time-travelling villain Kang, but after the actor was found guilty of harassment and assault in December, the studio cut ties with him, requiring an overhaul of the movie.

'Avengers: Doomsday' is due out in May 2026, and 'Avengers: Secret Wars' will follow a year later.

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