While the MCU is in the depths of its Phase 4 story complete with Eternals, vampires, the Multiverse, and even the X-Men, the shadow of Marvel's original genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist still looms large. And, interestingly enough, it looks like MCU fans have yet to see the full impact of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and his Avengers: Endgame's sacrifice.
The origin of the MCU can be traced back to 2008's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr.; and even though the actor took his final bow in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, his Stark tech and relationship with Peter Parker played huge roles in both Far From Home and No Way Home.
But again, there's more to come given the upcoming series like Armor Wars and Ironheart, along with rumors of variant Iron Men in Doctor Strange 2; and, according to Eternals, Stark's snap which brought back half of all life actually led to the Emergence and the near destruction of Earth itself.
While the effect of these stories on Stark's legacy remains to be seen, for Marvel fans, Robert Downey Jr. will always be associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that connection is something the actor isn't afraid to embrace.
Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. Posts Avengers-Themed Selfie
Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. recently shared a selfie with Avengers: Endgame actor James D'Arcy on Twitter, along with a nod to both of their past roles within the MCU.
His caption reads as follows:
"O.G. Jarvis and Tony take a hike."
While it's true that WandaVision's Paul Bettany served as the voice of Tony Stark's AI assistant, JARVIS, before becoming Vision, he technically wasn't the first Jarvis in Tony's life.
James D'Arcy played Edwin Jarvis and Tony's father's butler in Marvel's Agent Carter television series. He then appeared in Avengers: Endgame when Tony went back in time to the 1970s and encountered his father, Howard Stark.
RDJ Knows His MCU History
Even though James D'Arcy's role in Endgame was a small cameo and a fun nod to fans of Agent Carter, the fact that Downey Jr. is aware of his tenure as the original inspiration for Jarvis and took time to acknowledge that fact to fans is refreshing.
Franchise actors don't always share the same passion and appreciation for their cinematic universes, but that's not the case with Robert Downey Jr. In fact, social media posts like this show that he cares, even though his time in the MCU has passed.
Now, given the reality of the MCU Multiverse, many have wondered if the studio has plans for the actor's return. However, according to No Way Home screenwriter Chris McKenna, that possibility is reportedly a "non-starter in the halls of Marvel" these days.
But again, due to Marvel's upcoming slate of projects, this isn't the last fans have heard of the Iron Man hero; and due to RDJ's respect for the MCU, this probably won't be the last fans see of him paying homage to the MCU either.
