Robert Downey Jr. Shares Behind-The-Scenes Photo From 'Avengers: Doomsday' With Sweet Nod To Jeremy Renner

Marvel fans who preferred the days of Iron Man and The Avengers will get a taste of the good times next year with the arrival of Avengers: Doomsday, which will feature some of our old favorites.

That also includes Robert Downey Jr., though not for the character the entire Marvel community mourned the sacrifice of.

Instead, Downey Jr. has been invited back to the set and recast as Dr. Doom in a crossover experience that will include the cast from Fantastic Four. The jump from a sarcastic but moral scientist to a corrupted, evil genius is bound to be jarring.

This week, the actor showed a sneak peek of himself on set in between takes.

At first glance, fans might only notice the actor's physique as he poses with one arm curled and bicep obviously flexed.

But the point of the post is what Downey Jr. is looking at while flexing, which is his hardback copy of Jeremy Renner's memoir, My Next Breath, which tells the story of his near-fatal snow plow accident.

In the Instagram caption, Downey Jr. writes:

"Reading Renner's book and feeling stronger already."

"What a journey to wisdom. Very instructive, a must read!"

You can see the post here:

Some fans, of course, were distracted by Robert Downey Jr.'s new look as Dr. Doom.

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

But others were touched by the fact that he was reading and recommending Renner's memoir.

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

Even Renner thanked Downey Jr. for sharing his book with his fans.

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

Some fans shouted Renner out directly after that.

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

@robertdowneyjr/Instagram

Avengers: Doomsday is set to premiere in May 2026 and will include many familiar names from the Avenger days, including Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, and Paul Rudd as Scott Lang.

It's unclear at this time if Jeremy Renner will return to his role as Hawkeye and Clint Barton. But since we still have a year to go, there are bound to be more big-time reveals to come.