Marvel Studios is bringing back a surprising Iron Man actor in 2026 as he breaks a major MCU record with his Disney+ return.
Robert Downey Jr. headlined the MCU's first blockbuster in 2008 with Iron Man, and, after departing the franchise with Avengers: Endgame, he will be back in 2026 to lead the villainous front of Avengers: Doomsday as Doctor Doom.
But he isn't the only Iron Man actor making a shocking comeback in 2026...
Iron Man Actor to Break MCU Appearance Record
According to an exclusive report from Deadline, Iron Man actor Faran Tahir will reprise his role as Raza (the terrorist leader of the Ten Rings who kidnapped Tony Stark in Afghanistan) in Disney+'s upcoming Vision Quest series.
Reprising his role from 2008's Iron Man around 18 years later in 2026's Vision Quest, Tahir will claim the record for the longest gap between appearances for a Marvel Studios actor.
That record is currently held by Abomination actor Tim Roth with 14 years between his roles in 2008's The Incredible Hulk and 2022's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Roth will have that record taken in February when two more actors from The Incredible Hulk reprise their roles in Captain America: Brave New World.
As Liv Tyler will reprise Betty Ross while Tim Blake Nelson returns as Samuel Sterns to finally become the villainous leader (catch a look at the Captain America 4 villain), the pair will tie for the record with over 16 years between appearances.
While Tahir will steal the record for the longest gap between appearances for an MCU actor in 2026, that record is held by another when it comes to Marvel overall.
After Wesley Snipes reprised Blade in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine for the first time since 2004's Blade: Trinity, he received the Guinness World Record for the "Longest gap between character appearances in Marvel films" at 19 years, 231 days.
Raza may not be the only Iron Man character returning for Vision Quest, as Tony Stark's AI creations JARVIS and Friday will also reportedly feature.
Why Is Vision Quest Bringing Back a Random Iron Man Villain?
In the aftermath of Iron Man, Raza was thought to be dead after being temporarily paralyzed by Obadiah Stane. But that now does not appear to be the case, as the MCU's first-ever villain is, for some reason, coming back in Vision Quest.
The series will explore Vision's efforts to regain his lost memories after he was rebuilt by SWORD in WandaVision. As the creation of the Iron Man suit was, arguably, among the steps that led to Vision's creation years later, perhaps he will return to the cave where Tony Stark built the Mark I suit in his quest for answers.
Early in the MCU, fans met one faction of the Ten Rings operating as terrorists in Afghanistan under Raza in Iron Man. Years later, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings revealed a whole new side to the organization, operating out of a remote fortress with a ninja-like focus on martial arts led by Wenwu (the Mandarin).
Nowadays, that organization has come under the control of Shang-Chi's sister Xu Xialing (which was once planned as the focus of a Disney+ spin-off). With the Ten Rings' terrorist operations potentially coming back to the forefront in Vision Quest, perhaps Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing could work their way into the show.
Vision Quest is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.
