The Avengers assembled on Hollywood’s biggest night Sunday when Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans shared the stage at the 98th Academy Awards. The Robert Downey Jr Chris Evans Oscars reunion marked the first time the original Iron Man and Captain America appeared together outside a Marvel event since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
The duo presented the awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay at the Dolby Theatre, entering to the iconic Avengers theme and sending fans into immediate nostalgia. Their appearance also celebrated the 14th anniversary of The Avengers, the 2012 blockbuster that changed superhero cinema forever.
Downey Jr. opened by praising the importance of screenwriting. “The script. It’s the driving force of any film, and it’s truly been a banner year for screenwriters,” he began.
Evans immediately interrupted with a question that sent the room laughing. “Hey, Downey, what did you get me for our anniversary? It’s the 14th anniversary of our first Avengers movie,” he said. “I got you a signed copy of the original script signed by the whole cast”.
Downey Jr. played along perfectly, handing over a small piece of paper, his valet parking receipt. “You drove yourself?” Evans asked. “I did, I’m a man of the people,” Downey Jr. replied.
The bit didn’t end there. After presenting the Best Adapted Screenplay award to Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, Downey Jr. dashed backstage and returned with a second “gift”.
He handed Evans a pair of sparkly underwear and announced: “It is the official Tanning Chatum thong from Magic Mike” . From the audience, Channing Tatum shouted that he would need it back “for work later,” prompting another wave of laughter.
Both actors dressed in ways that hinted at their Marvel futures. Downey Jr. wore a dark green suit jacket, evoking the color scheme of his upcoming villainous turn as Doctor Doom. Evans appeared in a navy blue suit, a nod to his Captain America roots.
The visual cues weren’t accidental. Both stars are set to return to the MCU in December’s Avengers: Doomsday, directed by the Russo Brothers . Downey Jr. will play the iconic villain Victor Von Doom, while Evans reprises his role as Steve Rogers.
Downey Jr. and Evans became global superstars playing Tony Stark and Steve Rogers throughout the MCU’s first three phases. Their characters seemingly exited the franchise in Endgame, with Stark sacrificing himself to defeat Thanos and Rogers choosing to retire in the past.
Sunday’s reunion marked their first joint public appearance since that film, making the moment especially meaningful for fans who grew up watching their decade-long partnership.
The producers had teased the appearance earlier in the week. Executive producer Katy Mullan told reporters: “There’s also going to be a Marvel reunion for the superhero fans. We’re going to have superstar superheroes, and there will also be an extraterrestrial on stage. So you can figure that one out”.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters December 18, 2026, bringing together an unprecedented ensemble . Beyond Downey Jr. and Evans, the cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, Letitia Wright, Pedro Pascal, and Florence Pugh.
The film also reunites original X-Men cast members Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden, creating a multiverse event years in the making.
For one night, though, the focus stayed on two friends who defined an era. The Avengers assembled Sunday not to save the world, but to remind everyone why they loved them in the first place.
