Ming-Na Wen and Robert Downey Jr.’s D23 Reunion Echoes Their Marvel History

Ming-Na Wen and Robert Downey Jr. have both spent well over a decade shaping different corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Downey’s Tony Stark kicking off the franchise in 2008 and Wen’s Agent Melinda May anchoring ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ through seven seasons on ABC. Their paths first crossed publicly back in 2019, when both actors were honored together as Disney Legends at that year’s D23 Expo, a program that has recognized just under 300 honorees for their contributions to the company’s legacy.

This past weekend, the two reunited once again at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, with photos from the show floor capturing them together during Disney’s Entertainment Showcase in Anaheim. That real-life meeting quickly caught the attention of fans, who noted the moment carried an extra layer of meaning given how directly Melinda May and Tony Stark’s characters have crossed paths within Marvel’s own comic book continuity.

That connection was made explicit in a comic panel fans have circulated alongside photos of the reunion, showing May and Iron Man in a tense exchange where May reminds Tony that neither of them belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. Pairing that fictional moment with the real-world photo of the two actors together turned a simple convention meet-up into a small piece of Marvel trivia for longtime fans of both characters.

The timing of their meeting lines up with a bigger announcement Disney made during the same D23 weekend. According to Men’s Journal, Downey is officially reprising Tony Stark, not as Doctor Doom, for two new Avengers Campus attractions opening at Disney California Adventure in 2028, giving him a way back into the Iron Man role even with the character having died in 2019’s ‘Avengers: Endgame.’

Those two attractions, Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab, will also feature Anthony Mackie reprising Captain America and Brie Larson appearing as Captain Marvel, according to the same report, giving Downey a way to keep playing his most iconic character even outside the films themselves. Wen, meanwhile, has continued to appear at Marvel-adjacent events in the years since ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ wrapped, including a 2025 New York Comic Con reunion panel for the show alongside co-stars Clark Gregg and Chloe Bennet.

Both actors have deep individual ties to Disney beyond their Marvel work. Wen’s relationship with the company dates back to 1996, when she voiced the title character in ‘Mulan,’ a role that later helped earn her the Disney Legends honor she shared with Downey, alongside singer Christina Aguilera and directors Jon Favreau and Kenny Ortega that same year. Downey, for his part, has become one of the most closely associated actors with Disney’s modern blockbuster era since first stepping into the Iron Man suit nearly two decades ago.

With Melinda May and Tony Stark’s fictional history now echoed by two actors reconnecting in real life at the same convention where Downey’s Iron Man future was reaffirmed, the moment offered a fitting bit of symmetry for fans who have followed both characters since their earliest appearances. Between the shared Disney Legends recognition and their overlapping ties to the wider MCU, Wen and Downey’s friendship has clearly outlasted whatever storylines their characters were originally caught up in.

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