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For Marvel fans, it was nice to see some fun banter between the pair, with Evans joking that Downey hadn’t got him a gift for the 14th anniversary of their first MCU movie together, The Avengers. After the first prize, Downey Jr. briefly disappeared from stage, only to return with a gift for Evans: Channing Tatum’s – though he called him “Tanning Chatum” – thong from Magic Mike. Tatum, who will also appear with the pair in Doomsday as Gambit, was in the crowd and joked he’ll “need that back.”
It’s also worth noting that Downey was wearing a green suit: that hardly seems like a coincidence, given it’s the color of Doctor Doom. The actor wearing a tux inspired by the villain might not count as a first look at him in a Doctor Doom suit, but it’s a neat touch all the same. It was also quite fitting to have them on stage for Original Screenplay, because that went to another member of the extended MCU family: Ryan Coogler for Sinners.
Chris Evans & Robert Downey Jr’s Reunion Is One Of Avengers: Doomsday’s Biggest Selling Points
The reunion between the two actors at the Oscars 2026 continues the marketing for Avengers: Doomsday, even without having them in costume. Marvel is very clearly banking on nostalgia – and, above all else, the return of the two defining stars of the Infinity Saga coming back – to help turn Doomsday into the kind of event that the previous Avengers movies have been.
While we haven’t yet seen Downey in a teaser (Evans returned as Steve Rogers in the first Doomsday trailer), the presence of the two actors on one of the biggest movie stages, ahead of one of the year’s biggest movies, highlights how much of a sell them coming back is designed to be.
