Robert Downey Jr. is living on cloud nine right now. The 59-year-old is fresh off his biggest commercial film since Avengers: Endgame, Oppenheimer. It wasn’t just the fact that the Christopher Nolan feature made nearly one billion dollars at the box office, but the former MCU star nabbed his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. However, the actor told Esquire that he would go back to the defining role that changed his career: Iron Man.
Despite having a solid filmography before being cast as Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t particularly a box office draw. In fact, some of personal issues held him back early in his Hollywood career. Many will never forget about Robert’s role within the MCU as he was perfectly cast as Tony Stark. Given all the recent gossip about Kevin Feige looking to bring back the old stars of the MCU, should Robert Downey Jr. return as Iron Man?
Tony Stark Is Dead
It would be strange to not point out the obvious first. Robert Downey Jr. will go down as one of the greatest performers within the MCU. His arc as Tony Stark was brilliant. The brash and arrogant tech genius slowly developed into a selfless leader who had a few sarcastic quips to spare. His final scene was simply perfect. It helped highlight Tony Stark’s transformation as a good guy, and it was an emotional and gripping moment that will forever be etched in the mind of fans. This isn’t a case of Tony Stark dying; this is a case of a well developed character who had a great arc throughout Phases One through Three.
Tony Stark is dead. There’s no need to further his character development as his journey has been completed. If he showed up in flashback sequences then that would be a welcome return, but there’s no point in bringing him back for anything else. Are there any other stories to tell with Tony Stark? Of course! There’s plenty of stories to tell with Iron Man, but when it comes to the film adaptations that shipped has certainly sailed.
The MCU has been struggling since the end of Phase three, this move would seem more like a cash grab more than anything. Kevin Feige has established that this is a connection universe where characters have realm stakes, it would undo all the good that he’s done for the MCU if he brings back Tony Stark beyond a flashback.
Why Using The Rules Of The Multiverse Wouldn’t Work
Kevin Feige does have a cheat that fans would accept, the multiverse. We’re seen several characters come back from the dead with this convenient plot device, but it would still be a mistake to bring back Stark in this nature. Again, it would still undo all the hard work they did with his development in Phases One through three. Even worse, it would re-enforce that the MCU doesn’t truly have any stakes within the universe.
There needs to be dire consequences of this nature to gives gravitas to this world, and helps heighten the tension for future fights in the MCU. What makes these characters so relatable is that they feel human, despite having God-like powers. Stripping away the humanity with only do more harm then good to the entire MCU. It’s quite possible that Kevin Feige could come up with a brilliant story showcasing Tony Stark in a different dimension.
Personally, I wouldn’t take this route until that Iron Man is not played by Robert Downey Jr. As I previously stated, there are plenty of stories to tell with Iron Man, and seeing a different version in another dimension can be fun, but using Robert would make fans suspense their disbelief. There may be multiple Peter Parkers, but three different actors represent their generation. There may be multiple Doctor Strange’s, but the key aspect is that Doctor Strange didn’t have such a high level story that ended with his death. Point is, the multiverse angle can be used as a crutch to bring back Robert, but it would still feel like a cash cow.
Is There A Future With Robert Downey Jr. Returning?
It’s quite possible that Kevin Feige does a complete reboot and brings back the old cast. But what makes the MCU unique is their interconnected stories that have a lasting impact through their world. It was certainly a joy to watch the old Avengers light up the big screen for a decade plus, but it’s okay for stories to end. Audiences brought into the MCU because the build was worth investing into. The pay-off was massively satisfying, as most people feel that Kevin Feige could’ve ended his Avengers story at Endgame.
As previously mentioned, a flashback scene is fine, but a reboot with the Oscar winner reprising his role as Tony Stark is nothing more than eye-rolling. Creatively speaking, the brand has been rather hit and miss, and it’s notable that their box office revenues isn’t reaching the heights of the later MCU films. Perhaps another ten years down the line then it wouldn’t be so crazy to bring back the original Tony Stark, but Endgame still feels fresh in everyone’s mind. It would be cool to see him suit up as the superhero one more time, but Tony Stark shouldn’t return to the MCU.
Follow Us
