Robert Downey Jr. has always been, and will probably always be, the perfect Iron Man. But with each passing day, rumours surrounding the fourth cinematic installment in the Iron Man series suggest that in the next movie, somebody else will don the red suit.
Going by the storyline offered in the comic books, Tony Stark, who has been Iron Man so far, passes the baton to 15-year old-Riri Williams. If the movies follow the same plotline, we might witness a teen taking on the responsibility that was Tony Stark's from the beginning. This seems like a huge risk to take on the silver screen.
However, as Vine Report points out, perhaps the stage for this handover was already set in "Captain America: Civil War," when the hero distributed sponsorships at M.I.T. It seems likely that the teen and the idol may have crossed paths then. And on the bright side, if Stark gets the superhero suit off his back, it might clear the air and resolve his break with Pepper Potts.
Movie News Guide has another character lined up to take on the armour from Stark. The comic books saw Iron Man lend the suit to Natasha Romanoff, nicknamed The Black Widow. The upcoming movie may also follow this track, making Romanoff the next Iron Man, or rather, the Iron Woman. The movies may well pull this off, if it weren't for the rumour that the Black Widow may be starring in another associated film centred entirely on her.
And finally, a third contender for the armour is Dr. Doom. Parent Herald reports that the super-villain may be the one the title passes on to. Speculations regarding the movie's release suggest a 2020 premiere. With nearly four years to go, perhaps things will get clearer as we head further down the road.
