While Avengers: Endgame saw the stories of Steve Rogers' Captain America and Tony Stark's Iron Man come to an end, the two are certainly still feeling their presence felt in the MCU, as they will for some time.
With the two legendary stars having held their roles for roughly ten years, a solo trilogy, and multiple team-up films, it's safe to say many fans still aren't quite yet ready to let go of their favorite Avengers.
Given the two actors have only just settled down into their MCU retirement, it'll likely be sometime before either returns to the franchise in any major capacity, as both have said on many occasions. Despite this Disney, Marvel, and the actors themselves are frequently bombarded with questions about whether the two stars will reprise their Avenging roles at any point,
As Disney and Marvel prepare to kick off Phase Four's theatrical slate, with Black Widow hitting theaters next month, Disney's current CEO Bob Chapek has become the next to address the future of Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU.
DISNEY RESPONDS TO POTENTIAL IRON MAN RETURN
During a Q&A session at the Credit Suisse 23rd Annual Communications Conference, shared via Laughing Place, Disney CEO Bob Chapek received a fan question calling for the return of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark.
In response, the recently-appointed House of Mouse Chief suggested Marvel fans watch Don Cheadle's Armor Wars, hinting that it will “scratch that itch.”
“Tell your Marvel fan that we’ve got a series called Armor Wars coming up, starring Don Cheadle as War Machine... I think that will probably scratch that itch that our fans have for more Iron Man.”
WILL ROBERT DOWNEY JR. RETURN IN ARMOR WARS?
Despite the never-ending calls for Robert Downey Jr. to return to his iconic role of Tony Stark, it doesn't seem that is something the actor or the studio is looking to do at the moment. While Tony Stark's legacy and death will play a major role in the story of Armor Wars, fans shouldn't get themselves too excited to see Iron Man suit up once again as it is extremely unlikely.
Much in the way The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a story about Steve Rogers' legacy and the importance of the Captain America mantle, Armor Wars will be the same for Tony Stark and Iron Man. With Don Cheadle's Colonel James Rhodes leading the series as he suits back up as War Machine, perhaps viewers could expect to see a cameo from some other members of the Iron Man trilogy's cast.
Upon revealing the Iron Man successor at Disney's Investor Day in December, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige confirmed the story will revolve around Tony's worst fear coming true as his technology falls into the wrong hands. Whose hands these are remains to be seen, but some popular guesses have included Sharon Carter's Power Broker and tech giant Justin Hammer.
In the past, the MCU Spider-Man franchise has been criticized greatly for an over-reliance on Tony Stark and Peter's father-son relationship with the Avenger. Chapek referring to Armor Wars and not Spider-Man: No Way Home while discussing Tony's MCU future seems to suggest Stark's role may finally have been dialed back for the third installment.
Armor Wars will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2022.
