It’s been made clear by all parties involved: Tony Stark’s heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame will never be undone. But in an infinite Multiverse in which Stark himself invented time travel, the opportunities for the character–or a Variant of him–to show up seem truly infinite. And Robert Downey Jr. is starting to sound increasingly like someone who knows he’s going to return to his career-definig role sooner rather than later.
Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, “Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.” It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.
Robert Downey Jr., Esquire, 2024
Since Endgame, Downey‘s career has reached all-new heights thanks to roles in projects such as Oppenheimer, for which he won an Oscar, and The Sympathizer. While some might think the success would lead him further away from the MCU, Downey has been quite forthcoming recently about his willingness to return to work with Marvel. Now, in a new interview with Jodie Foster Variety, he’s at it again and this time, the hints seem stronger.
“It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” said Downey when asked if he’d think of suiting up as Iron Man again. Then, as if he was reliving Tony Stark’s speech at the end of Iron Man but deciding to stick with what’s on the cards, Downey added “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea.”
While that’s stopping short of saying “I am Iron Man…again,” Downey’s rhetoric around his return has continued to sound more and more it’s a when and not an if. The TVA playing a large role in Deadpool & Wolverine provides one interesting possibility as do upcoming projects such as Ironheart and Armor Wars and, of course, Avengers: Secret Wars. It sure sounds like it’s only a matter of time before fans see Downey back in action in the MCU.
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