Rumors are now swirling that "Iron Man 4" will probably not happen. If it does, the titular character may no longer be played by Robert Downey Jr., a role which the actor held since 2008.
Chris Evans, who plays Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dropped the bombshell that Downey may also be departing from the film series in an interview he gave about his own farewell from the franchise. He said, "Downey is far closer to reaching that point where he may walk away. And I don't know how you replace Downey as Tony Stark. I don't know who else can touch that."
Downey himself indicated that "Iron Man 4" is not happening in a 2016 interview with USA Today, saying that "Captain America: Civil War" can already serve as the fourth "Iron Man" flick. He said, "In a way, it's 'Cap 3,' but for me, it's like my little 'Iron Man 4' and then it's back to the thing we all recognize. Everything pulls over to the side of the road when the thunder of an 'Avengers' thing comes through because that's how it all changes. If it changes."
Meanwhile, there are speculations that Iron Man might be killed off in "Avengers: Infinity War." According to Movie Pilot, with more characters being brought in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is only logical to kill off older members in the series to make way for them. As one of the heads of the Avengers, Iron Man's death will have a lasting impact on the film franchise, and it will trigger a lot of changes in the series, which ties neatly with Marvel's revelation that the Marvel Cinematic Universe might undergo an overhaul following "Avengers 4."
Downey's — or Iron Man's — departure from the series may not necessarily mean the departure of a superhero in a power suit, as there are also rumors going around that Ironheart, Iron Man's successor, will be appearing in the film series. This is supported by a photo posted by Skai Jackson with Tom Holland, who plays the new Spider-Man. According to Movie Pilot, "Iron Man" artist Mike Deodato, Jr. revealed on his Twitter account that Jackson was the inspiration for Riri Williams, the alter-ego of Ironheart, so the photo of the two may also indicate that both are working on a Marvel movie project.
Neither Downey nor Marvel has released a statement regarding the rumor.
