After starring in 10 Marvel films, Downey officially exited the MCU in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, where his beloved Tony Stark sacrificed his life to save his fellow Avengers. Downey's exit was so perfect that Feige told Vanity Fair in December that the actor would not return to the franchise.
“It purely came down to the Marvel board being nervous at putting all of their chips in their future films on somebody who famously had those legal troubles in the past,” Feige said of Downey's arrests. “I wasn't very good — and I'm still not great — at taking no for an answer.
Summary. Rhodey, aka War Machine, is confirmed as the ideal replacement for Iron Man in the upcoming Armor Wars, as his characterization now mirrors Stark's. Rhodey's reveal as a Skrull impostor adds a layer of trauma and parallel to Tony Stark's origin story, making him a compelling successor to Iron Man.
Will Iron Man return? Feige, Marvel Studios' president, revealed to Vanity Fair last December that Downey's Iron Man won't make a return, preserving his poignant exit in “Avengers: Endgame.” “We are going to preserve that moment and not revisit it,” Feige emphasized at the time.
Will Robert Downey Jr. Ever Return as Iron Man? | Joe Rogan
Will Tony Stark return in Iron Man 4?
Robert Downey Jr. expressed his excitement about returning to the role that has defined a generation of superhero films. "Tony Stark's story is far from over," Downey said. "Iron Man 4 will explore new dimensions of the character and his legacy through the eyes of Morgan.
Though no plans to bring back Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man have been announced, Tony Stark's legacy is still being felt in the MCU. Riri Williams, who appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and will be the lead character in the upcoming Ironheart series, is in many ways a direct successor to Tony.
MORE: Robert Downey Jr. isn't coming back as Tony Stark, Marvel Studios president says. Tony Stark sacrificed himself to snap away Thanos at the end of 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Vanity Fair in December, "we would never want to magically undo it in any way."
With the multiverse in play for the MCU, Evans could come back not as Captain America, but as the Human Torch, which would be a major surprise for fans. Adding to that possibility, Evans told MTV News in 2022 that returning as Johnny Storm "would actually be an easier sell to [him] than coming back as Cap."
Summary. Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU as Tony Stark's Iron Man in a new Avengers: Secret Wars theory. Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU could see Tony Stark reunite with Tom Holland's Peter Parker.
Tony Stark's role in team-up movies outweighed the need for a fourth Iron Man solo film in the MCU. Marvel focused on developing new heroes post-Iron Man 3, making room for iconic characters like Black Panther and Doctor Strange.
As far as who can replace him as iron man, it depends on what they want to do with the character. James Rhodes could take the mantle of him. There are also rumors that the kid in Iron Man 3 might. It's possible that nobody will.
Given that Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man died in Avengers: Endgame, War Machine will take Tony Stark's place as Armor Wars' protagonist. The MCU's Armor Wars adaptation will likely delve into the implications of Tony Stark's death, which may have allowed Iron Man copycats to design their own armors.
Actor Robert Downey Jr has been semi-retired after starring in his final Marvel movie, Avengers: Endgame, in 2019. After that, he attempted to launch a new franchise for himself with Dolittle, but the movie ended up bombing, and pushed RDJ further away from acting.
The real world reason that Black Widow and Iron Man died were prompted by contracts. These two characters had been cornerstones of the MCU since it's beginning. Iron Man was the first MCU character, and Black Widow joined in Iron Man 2, the very second movie in the MCU. They were high on the list to die/retire.
He said he enjoyed the role but it wasn't giving him anything new, which is why he stepped away. Some people here are acting like he said he hated playing Tony Stark.
In June 2023, Avengers 5 was delayed by Marvel and will now hit cinemas on May 1, 2026. That's a move of one year from its initial release date of May 2, 2025 and has also led to Avengers: Secret Wars being moved from May 5, 2026 to May 7, 2027.
Marvel Studios has released the best look yet at Sam Wilson's new Captain America suit, which will debut in the Phase 5 movie, Captain America: Brave New World. Empire shared the new image of Anthony Mackie suited up as Sam Wilson/Captain alongside its interview with Brave New World director Julius Onah.
Summary. Feige won't bring back MCU's main Iron Man after his Endgame sacrifice, but a variant could still allow RDJ to return without undoing his death. The MCU's use of alternate reality variants opens the door for Iron Man's return in a way that respects his previous sacrifice.
After starring in 10 Marvel films, Downey officially exited the MCU in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, where his beloved Tony Stark sacrificed his life to save his fellow Avengers. Downey's exit was so perfect that Feige told Vanity Fair in December that the actor would not return to the franchise.
Robert Downey Jr. elated Marvel fans earlier this month when he told Esquire magazine that he would “happily” return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark/Iron Man following his Oscar win for best supporting actor in March.
Several other actors, including Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, and Hugh Jackman, were considered for the role of Iron Man. Other potential candidates for Iron Man included Timothy Olyphant, Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sam Rockwell, Johnny Depp, Jon Hamm, and Rob Lowe.
