.png)
1 week ago
17
Avengers: Doomsday is bringing together a huge lineup of Marvel stars, but one reunion goes back three decades. Robert Downey Jr. and Ian McKellen first shared the screen in Restoration and then in Richard III, both released in 1995.
Richard III is the one that stands out. McKellen co-wrote the film and played the title role, the scheming king who kills his way to the throne. Downey Jr. played Earl Rivers, the charming, carefree brother of Queen Elizabeth, who becomes one of Richard’s victims.
McKellen was chillingly brilliant as the villain, while Downey Jr. brought an easy American charm to a very British cast, and the two made a memorable pairing on screen. Now, their reunion in Doomsday is a dream for Marvel fans.
McKellen returns as Magneto, the fan-favorite X-Men villain, while Downey Jr. goes from Iron Man, Marvel’s biggest hero, to its next big villain, Doctor Doom.
Ian McKellen Recalled Working With Robert Downey Jr. Before Doomsday
Ian McKellen clearly remembers working with Robert Downey Jr. ahead of their reunion in Avengers: Doomsday. Speaking to the YouTube channel Jake’s Takes, McKellen was asked about reuniting with Downey Jr. on Doomsday. He went back to where it all began, Restoration.
In that film, Downey Jr. played Robert Merivel, a young doctor who becomes a favorite of King Charles II, while McKellen played Will Gates, Merivel’s loyal servant. He then recalled their second project:
A few years later, I was producing a film of Richard III by Shakespeare, and there was a wonderful part for Robert. I asked him would he play it, and he came over and did three or four days on it. He really didn’t need to put himself out, but he did.
In Richard III, McKellen played the power-hungry Richard, while Downey Jr. played Rivers, whose brief role still delivered one of the film’s most shocking moments. Downey Jr. flew over for a small part simply because McKellen asked.
The reunion clearly meant a lot to McKellen, as he shared, “To be back with him on this, and he, of course, was a changed man, but inside the same little boy who I’d been so charmed by. He’s got a great talent.” The two legends reunite when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
Richard III Is One of the Best Shakespeare Adaptations
Ian McKellen and Robert Downey Jr. in Richard III | Credits: MGM/UA DistributionRichard III took a bold swing that paid off. Directed by Richard Loncraine, it keeps Shakespeare’s original dialogue but moves the story from the 15th century to a 1930s Britain sliding into fascism. The movie brought in tanks, military uniforms, and swastika-like banners to portray Richard’s rise to power.
It is a chilling warning about how dictators grab power. McKellen is the heart of it all. He had already played Richard on stage, and he brings that experience to the screen, often turning to the camera to let the audience in on his evil plans.
It makes viewers feel like partners in his crimes, which is exactly what makes him so unsettling. The supporting cast is just as strong, with Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, and Nigel Hawthorne.
Downey Jr. may have a small role, but his death scene, where Rivers is stabbed from beneath his bed, is one fans still bring up. The film holds a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of Downey Jr.’s highest-rated movies, ahead of every Avengers film.
It was no box office hit, but it remains a must-watch for Shakespeare and McKellen fans. And it offers a preview of what these two great actors working together can bring to the screen ahead of Doomsday.
Have you watched this Shakespeare adaptation starring the Doom and Magneto actors? Let us know in the comments below!
Richard III is now available for streaming on Prime Video, Fubo, and Tubi.
Bengali (BD) · 
English (US) ·