Jeremy Renner Jabs ‘Son of a B--Ch’ Robert Downey Jr. Over Surprise MCU Return

In a recent interview with Us Weekly , Jeremy Renner jabbed “son of a b---h” Robert Downey Jr. for keeping his Marvel return in Avengers: Doomsday a secret from his fellow Avengers.

Downey astonished Marvel fans and critics alike when, at last weekend’s Comic-Con, he dramatically revealed himself to be playing nefarious Doctor Doom in the upcoming fifth and sixth Avengers pictures. Though Doctor Doom is in some timelines an alter-ego of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, it’s unclear if the new movies will pursue that arc or find Downey playing an entirely new character .

Renner, who joined up as Hawkeye in 2012’s The Avengers , counts himself among those caught completely off guard by the reveal. “I had no idea,” he told the outlet. “This son of a b---h didn’t say anything to me, and we’re good friends,” Renner protested.

The 53-year-old Mission: Impossible star said that as soon as he heard the news, he immediately “started blowing up [Downey’s] phone.”

“I’m like, ‘What’s going on? Are you hiding this from us?’ I don’t know,” Renner said of himself and his fellow Avengers. “That’s exciting news, man. I’m really, really excited about it.”

When asked if Downey’s return might prompt the reappearance of other departed Avengers, such as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson ’s Black Widow, Renner gave fans a promising tease.

“It seems the Avengers movies have always been fan favorites, and there’s so many wonderful characters in them,” he considered, before admitting, “I think it’s going to be challenging to get everybody together. I think they’re going to probably have to piece it together like week-by-week, just for people’s schedules.”

Renner added: “I’m excited about it. We’ll see. I think we’ll probably be doing it.”

Avengers: Doomsday is set to begin production in London in 2025.