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.
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.
------------------------------------------------ 🦾 Iron Man 4 Robert Downey Jr. is set to reprise his iconic role as Tony Stark in the highly anticipated "Iron Man 4."
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.
In the end, it didn't happen, as we could see. “I love Tom Cruise, and I said to Kevin Feige at one point, I was like, 'Could we get Tom Cruise's Iron Man?” he added. “I just don't think it was ever an option, because of availability.” Feige reportedly replied.
IRONMAN 4 - Official Trailer (2024) Robert Downey Jr. Returns as Tony Stark | Marvel Studios
Who turned down Tony Stark?
4 Tom Cruise
He ended up turning down the offer, but doesn't really regret his decision, as he admitted that Downey is simply perfect for the role. When asked why he rejected the part, Cruise said (via Us Magazine), "As it was lining up, it just didn't feel to me like it was gonna work.
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."
Robert Downey Jr is open to returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview with Esquire, the actor said he'd happily play Tony Stark aka Iron Man in future movies if Marvel gods want him to. (Also Read – Robert Downey Jr on his journey 'from uninsurable actor to Oscar winner': Father thought I got robbed…)
Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, told Vanity Fair last December that Downey's Iron Man will not return as it would ruin his perfect exit in “Avengers: Endgame.” “We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,” Feige said at the time.
When the character was first introduced in the comics, the character's creator was quoted saying that Riri was smarter than Tony Stark. But in the cinematic version, the characters might be too comparable to be ranked, at least for now.
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.
Does Robert Downey Jr. want to return as Iron Man?
Robert Downey Jr. would "happily" return to play Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "It's too integral a part of my DNA," Downey told Esquire of playing Tony Stark, in an interview published Monday. "That role chose me."
Today, @MyTimeToShineH reported that Chris Evans will reprise the role in Avengers: Secret Wars. He may feature in the untitled Avengers 5, but we don't know. The actor is expected to return to the MCU this summer as the Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine.
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.
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.
In 2019, he would appear again as Tony Stark in "Avengers: Endgame," reported to be the conclusion to the story of the original Avengers team. He also filmed a starring role in "The Voyage of Dr. Dolittle" (2020), and, through his banner Team Downey, was producing a remake of "Perry Mason" for HBO. Content collapsed.
Why did Tom Cruise refuse to play Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Tom Cruise was of the belief that Ironman as a movie was not going to make it big - this is according to Tom himself. And it is true, Ironman is popular, but only to comic readers.
Believe it or not, two Hemsworth brothers auditioned to play Thor! The other was Liam Hemsworth. Chris confirmed as much during an interview with Mensxp and proposed that his brother should play a variant of the character in the future. "My little brother (Liam Hemsworth) almost got cast as Thor.
Further putting a point on this thought, Tony explains that he often turns his friends into enemies because of this as he always feels like they're “stopping me from doing what I need to do,” an issue that ultimately made Tony the villain in Civil War.
