The now massive Marvel Cinematic Universe would have never gotten the kick-start that it needed had it not been for Robert Downey Jr.'s debut as the titular superhero in 2008's "Iron Man." Now, with his 10th year since imbibing the "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" slowly approaching and the MCU showing no signs of stopping, rumors of a swan song for the beloved character in the form of "Iron Man 4" has been gaining traction online. While everything at this point is still unofficial, who actually said that the actor is retiring his alter ego soon?
Sure, RDJ once said that after "Iron Man 3," he would probably retire his armor for good but only with regard to his standalone franchise, given that he belatedly added that he is still willing to do "Avengers" films. This also came at a time when his contract with the company was almost up, making it a good bargaining tool in getting a more lucrative offer. More recently, the 51-year-old actor even expressed his eagerness to do a standalone film again during his press rounds for "Captain America: Civil War"
With all of the possible hindrances for RDJ to do another "Iron Man" movie, there is arguably only one thing that might be a total deal breaker despite all parties involved wanting to push through with the project — timing.
Given how complex the MCU is right now, at this time, it is kind of tricky to find a slot for a very grounded story for Iron Man that focuses on the most interesting part of him — his evolved humanity. The overall arc of Stark seems very obvious given his choices in "Civil War" which was a 180-degree turn to how fans first met the independent and very cocky tech company owner who did not want to be controlled by the government or by anyone.
The struggle of dealing with the repercussions of being a superhero also spilled into his personal relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) whom fans found out was no longer in his life, at least right now. That in itself is a source of many possible scenarios for "Iron Man 4" as "Civil War" did not really specify why and how the breakup happened.
A more dramatic film with a vibe similar to upcoming superhero film "Logan" also almost cancels out the age argument wherein some are doubting RDJ's capacity to perform a plethora of action stunts as he continues to grow older.
Regardless, a smaller story might not fit in the current slate of the MCU especially with the introduction of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and eventually the mad titan Thanos (Josh Brolin). Even "Guardians of the Galaxy" which will continue dealing with family matters with Star Lord's (Chris Pratt) father is elevated given their cosmic background.
While everything regarding "Iron Man 4" is just pure speculation right now, there will be no shortage of Tony Stark in the MCU's future. The snazzy superhero is set to appear in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," out on July 7, 2017, and "Avengers: Infinity War" on May 4, 2018.
