Marvel Studios owes everything to Iron Man, masterfully played by Robert Downey Jr. Without him and his patented charm, the entire MCU likely would've fallen apart before it even got going. That's probably why, in Marvel Studios' most recent hour of need, it reached out to Downey Jr. again and offered him the role of Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Everything fell into place for the two parties. But a couple of other actors who play Iron Man characters weren't so lucky.
To build momentum going into Doomsday, Marvel Studios keeps dropping episodes of the Disney+ series VisionQuest. Of course, it has its fair share of connections to Tony Stark; he and Bruce Banner brought Vision to life, and Ultron, back and better than ever, also owes his existence to the two Avengers. They aren't the only AIs roaming around Vision's mindscape, though, as two other Tony creations, EDITH and FRIDAY, also play a major role in the show.
FRIDAY made her MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, voiced by Kerry Condon. After losing JARVIS, Tony needed a new AI for his suit and chose FRIDAY, who stayed with him until his death in Avengers: Endgame.
Vision kept her in his code, and she can take on a human form in his mindscape. However, Condon isn't bringing the AI she voiced for so many years to life in VisionQuest; Orla Brady is getting that honor.
EDITH finds herself in a similar spot. The pair of sunglasses she inhabited ended up in Peter Parker's possession in Spider-Man: Far From Home. He foolishly gave EDITH over to Mysterio, and Dawn Michelle King's voice helped him nearly wipe out all of London.
All these years later, EDITH returns in VisionQuest, with Emily Hampshire taking over the role.
VisionQuest will likely end with a few more Iron Man characters moving on to greener virtual pastures. The end of their MCU runs doesn't mean Tony becomes an afterthought. Other heroes are set to pick up the baton and run with it, doing their best to make the late hero proud.
Iron Man Characters Likely to Return in Upcoming MCU Projects
Iron Man
As has been established, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is dead in the MCU, having lost his life in the Battle of Earth after using the Infinity Stones. But death is so rarely the end in a franchise that features magic and alternate realities.
At some point in the MCU's future, a new version of Iron Man is almost guaranteed to show up. Kevin Feige has made his intention to recast Marvel Studios' most important hero known. And while that may be a few years away, someone will step into Downey Jr.'s massive shoes and put their own spin on Iron Man.
Nick Fury
Speaking of significant moments in comic book movie history, everything changed when Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, broke into Tony's home at the end of Iron Man to talk to him about the Avengers Initiative. A group of remarkable people formed shortly after, ensuring Earth had a way to protect itself from Thanos and others.
Jackson recently revealed that he'll be back for more in Secret Wars. And with Doom looking like more of a threat than the Mad Titan ever was, Fury has to be on his A-game if he wants to help guide the titular team to victory.
Peter Parker
Tony needed serious reinforcements in Captain America: Civil War, so he traveled to Queens to recruit none other than Peter Parker, whom he saved in Iron Man 2. Their relationship blossomed from there, with Tony acting as a mentor to Peter Parker, who became every bit the hero Iron Man was and more.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's post-credits scene teased the Wall-Crawler's appearance in at least one, if not both, of the upcoming Avengers films. He may not be the strongest or smartest hero in the MCU, but Spider-Man never hesitates to put his life on the line for others, which is the most important part of being a hero.
Bruce Banner
Tony and Bruce Banner were thick as thieves in the early days of the MCU; the former even asked the latter for a therapy session in Iron Man 3. They parted ways at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron for a bit, but reunited in Avengers: Infinity War when they faced the Black Order together.
Without Tony around, Bruce hasn't been all that motivated to be a hero. But the arrival of Doctor Doom, who already got his hands on the good doctor in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Endgame Encore, will surely light a fire under the Hulk.
