Following Marvel Studios' announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU, fans wonder if an Iron Man 4 release could finally be in the cards.
After a decade of portraying Tony Stark, Downey Jr. hung up his suit of armor following Avengers: Endgame as he sacrificed himself with a fatal snap to defeat Thanos.
Since departing the MCU, Downey Jr. initially struggled to refind his footage in Hollywood. At least that was the case until he came along and won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Oppenheimer.
Robert Downey Jr.’s New MCU Role Explained
Marvel Studios brought one of its biggest shockers yet to San Diego Comic-Con as it announced Robert Downey Jr. is coming back to the MCU after making his last appearance in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
But the news comes with a twist, as Downey Jr. is switching sides for his next role. Instead, he brings the legendary Doctor Doom to life for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
This shocking move from Marvel Studios has left fans wondering if the MCU’s Doctor Doom will ultimately be the familiar Fantastic Four threat Victor Von Doom or a Tony Stark Variant from across the Multiverse.
As the Russo Brothers confirmed Downey Jr.'s MCU return at San Diego Comic-Con, the directors introduced him as "the one person who could play Victor von Doom," indicating he will not be a Tony Stark Variant.
Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom is expected to hail from the same alternate universe in which Marvel's First Family will in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Perhaps the Fantastic Four reboot will even debut the Oscar winner's new villain in 2025 to tease his rivalry with Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal).
[ Will RDJ’s Doctor Doom Be in Fantastic Four: First Steps? ]
Is There an Iron Man 4?
Speaking to ABC's Nightline (via Entertainment Weekly) during a Captain America: Civil War set visit, Robert Downey Jr. once said "I feel like I could do one more" to the prospect of returning for Iron Man 4.
During an interview with the French magazine Premiere (via Screen Rant), Iron Man 3 director Shane Black discussed his approach to developing the third part of a franchise, asking the question, "What remains to tell this story?:"
"It is always complicated to deal with a third part. Your job is first to answer this question: what remains to tell this story? The challenge is that your film is not just a new episode of the adventures of Iron Man, but the continuation of something, a new chapter had to be told.
Black added that while he felt the threequel "concluded a trilogy," he also felt like he was "leaving the door open to a fourth:"
"This is the problem that I had felt with 'Lethal Weapon 3' and '4.' Happened in the fourth, one felt they had nothing to tell. The film was more like an episode of TV series. I have the feeling that the story that we have developed for 'Iron Man 3' actually concluded a trilogy. While leaving the door open to a fourth..."
But that may no longer be the case, as the next chapters of Iron Man's saga were told through his appearances in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain America: Civil War, and three more Avengers movies that culminated in his death.
As of writing, there is no official word on Iron Man 4, but with Downey Jr. finally back in the Marvel Studios deck of cards, could one be on the horizon?
[ Robert Downey Jr. Dodges Question About Iron Man 4 Return ]
Will There Be an Iron Man 4 Release?
Robert Downey Jr.'s role as Doctor Doom in the coming Avengers movies may drastically lower the chances of Iron Man 4 ever seeing the light of day. After all, the Oscar winner headlining multiple MCU franchises in different roles would undoubtedly confuse everyday moviegoers.
But given Iron Man's popularity and the massive $1.2 billion gross of his trilogy-completing last movie, Disney and Marvel Studios may be eager to bring back the hit franchise in the coming years.
The costs to hire Downey Jr. may have outgrown Marvel Studios' solo franchise budgets - a report from Variety indicated the Oscar winner will take home "significantly more" than $80 million for the next two Avengers movies.
However, Downey Jr.'s starring roles in this pair of films will likely boost their worldwide box office grosses at least a few hundred million dollars compared to what they would earn without him.
The 59-year-old star is one of the only few Marvel actors who can singlehandedly raise the prospective earnings of a Marvel film this much.
So, if in the aftermath of Secret Wars in the late 2020s or early 2030s, Downey Jr. was down to star in one final Iron Man movie, a la Logan, it's hard to imagine that Marvel Studios wouldn't be eager to spend huge money on the star to do so, even if the payday were to be unprecedentedly high.
It's important to remember, though, that Downey Jr. has now been attracted back to the MCU not to play Iron Man, but an antithesis of him, in the villainous Doctor Doom.
Downey Jr. played Tony Stark in ten movies over twelve years - RDJ needed a completely new and very different character to return to the Marvel playground, so perhaps he would feel that an Iron Man 4, at this point, would be too much of the same-old, same-old.
Given the rumors that Secret Wars may spur a soft MCU reboot, perhaps the aftermath will open the doors for new actors to step into these iconic roles. This would allow Marvel Studios to bring back the winning Iron Man brand with a new, younger actor and without forking out Downey Jr.'s expensive price tag.
While Iron Man 4 may not be in development, Marvel Studios does have two projects set to spin off from the Armored Hero franchise.
The next will come with Ironheart, starring Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as she dons her own Iron Man-inspired suit and dives into a battle between magic and technology.
Also on the way in the future is Armor Wars, which was once set to be a Disney+ series but will now be released as a theatrical blockbuster. The flick will star Iron Man franchise veteran War Machine (Don Cheadle) as Tony Stark's worst fear comes true and his technology falls into the wrong hands.
Will Robert Downey Jr. Return as Iron Man?
Marvel Studios may have already dropped one hint at Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man future at San Diego Comic-Con during his Doctor Doom casting reveal.
Just as the Russo Brothers unveiled a vibrant green logo for Doomsday to signify Doctor Doom's debut, the filmmakers delivered a different style for Secret Wars in a rather Iron Man-esque red and gold.
While the announcement indicated Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom in the next two Avengers blockbusters, perhaps he will pull double duty in Secret Wars as he also brings back everyone's favorite Armored Avenger.
Fans have long been certain the veteran actor would find himself back in the MCU as Iron Man in Secret Wars, and his now-confirmed involvement with the movie only raises the chances those dreams could become reality.
The Avengers blockbuster could see Downey Jr.'s Iron Man Variant go toe-to-toe with Doctor Doom in the battle for the Multiverse.
If Iron Man were to appear in Secret Wars, Marvel Studios would likely be eager to maintain that surprise until May 2027 for the theaters, just as it did for some of Deadpool & Wolverine's biggest shock appearances.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars will follow on May 7, 2027. All three Iron Man movies are streaming on Disney+.
Read more about Robert Downey Jr. and Doctor Doom in the MCU:
Watch: Marvel Comic-Con's Crazy Reactions to Robert Downey Jr. Dr. Doom & Avengers 5 Announcements
Avengers 5 Doomsday Title Explained: What Does 'Doomsday' Mean?
Marvel Studios Reveals Its First-Ever Doctor Doom Design Ahead of Live-Action Debut
