Since Robert Downey Jr.'s debut as Iron Man in 2008, the superhero character has appeared six more times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, including "The Avengers," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," and "Captain America: Civil War."
After almost 10 years playing Iron Man, people have speculated that Downey would be retiring soon and passing the torch to other up-and-coming superheroes like Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) or Spider-Man (Tom Holland).
This does not appear to be the case as Downey may reprise his popular superhero role after "Avengers 4," which will be the sequel to 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War."
"Avengers 4" does not have a formal title yet and will premiere in 2019.
If Downey will indeed return for "Iron Man 4," there are three possible dates the movie could be slated for. According to BoxOfficeMojo, May 1, Aug. 7, and Nov. 6, all of which are in 2020, are dates that Marvel has reserved for their upcoming movies. The untitled "Iron Man 4" could possibly be released in one of these dates.
Downey recently told CinemaBlend at the "Spider-Man: Homecoming" press conference, "What happens to me is that things are presented to me that are really well thought out by folks that have been doing this correctly for a really long time, and I go like, 'Check.'"
Needless to say, if a script or story turns out to be exceptional and to the liking of Downey Jr., he would most likely agree to reprise the iron-clad character that has made him the highest paid actor in recent years.
Judging from the success of the films in the MCU, a well-thought out story is indeed possible. Fans are hoping they will see Iron Man in the lead once again.
In the meantime, to appease fans, Downey will appear for the eighth time as Iron Man in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" on July 7.
