Fans will be giddy to know Robert Downey Jr. continued a long-running MCU tradition in his most recent appearance for the super-powered brand. Since 2008, Downey has served as the de facto figurehead of Marvel Studios' interconnected film and TV franchise. Despite his Tony Stark/Iron Man character technically being dead in-universe, he has continued to champion the brand, especially as he returns to its superhero ranks, taking on the villainous role of an otherworldly Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
Downey's legacy can be felt all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether it is characters like Tom Holland's Spider-Man walking in his footsteps or entire projects, like the recently released Ironheart, focusing on the world after the armor-clad Avenger left this mortal plane, Downey's Stark has his fingerprints everywhere. This means that the character/actor has developed a series of touchstones on and off the screen in the Marvel world.
In a recent Ironheart video, Robert Downey Jr. brought back a classic MCU throwback that has been going on for over 12 years.
The new Marvel Studios video sees the Iron Man star sitting down with Ironheart lead Dominique Thorne to discuss the new steel-skinned streaming series. In the video, Downey can be seen wearing an iconic West Coast Avengers shirt that has become a staple of the MCU actor's wardrobe.
Downey has been seen sporting the same shirt several times over the years, dating back to promoting the first Avengers movie in 2012. Since then, he has sported the super-powered graphic tee in several places, including on the Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Endgame press tours (2013 and 2019, respectively).
Ironheart is streaming in its entirety on Disney+. The new streaming series from executive producer Ryan Coogler (known for Black Panther and Sinners) stars Dominique Thorne as the teenage tech whiz Riri Williams, a Chicago-based super genius who wants to follow in the footsteps of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark/Iron Man. Downey will next appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday as Victor Von Doom and will be joined by a stacked cast from the MCU and beyond (including Anthony Mackie, Chris Hemsworth, and Patrick Stewart).
Every West Coast Avenger on Robert Downey Jr.'s Fan-Favorite Shirt
Iron Man
Iron Man is one of the original members of the West Coast Avengers, being recruited by Hawkeye for the new California-based superhero team. Notably, the iron-clad hero was not the usual Tony Stark version of the character in the original West Coast Avengers run but was James Rhodes (aka War Machine), unbeknownst to the rest of the team.
Hawkeye
Clint Barton/Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner in the MCU) was the man behind the original West Coast Avengers team. The bow-wielding character brought the group together after his fellow Avengers teammate, Vision, suggested a West Coast offshoot of the prime team could be worth exploring to make their superhero pursuits even more efficient.
Tigra
Tigra was another member of the original West Coast Avengers lineup. Greer Grant Nelson is a former Chicago-based college student who, after the death of her police officer husband, volunteers for a groundbreaking experimental study that leaves her as the cat-like hero, Tigra.
Mockingbird
Mockingbird is the fourth and final member of the West Coast Avengers featured on Downey's iconic graphic tee. Mockingbird is another original member of the California-based team, being a former SHEILD spy who was injected with some Captain America-esque super soldier serum during an experiment to recreate the star-spangled comic book hero.
Watch Robert Downey Jr's interview with Dominique Thorne for Ironheart below:
