For quite a while now, fans have latched on to Robert Downey Jr.'s comment about doing "Iron Man 4" if pal Mel Gibson would helm it. While nobody really knew whether the 51-year-old actor was joking or not, it did not hurt to hear that he was still open to doing another standalone film for his beloved character. After a couple of years, Gibson has offered his side and if Marvel Studios permits, a much-clamored swan song for Tony Stark may eventually happen.
During a recent conversation with Total Film (via Cosmic Book News), Gibson was again asked about the possibility of him joining Marvel's roster of great directors for "Iron Man 4."
"It might be fun," he said. "You'd have to figure out a way to be different with that."
Gibson's comment is interesting, to say the least, because if he would indeed sit on the director's chair, it's likely that he will give a different twist to the narrative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's very first superhero. The 60-year-old has starred in a long list of movies but he is also quite the filmmaker with experience in writing and producing, as seen in movies like "Braveheart," "The Passion of the Christ" and more recently, "Hacksaw Ridge." Genre-wise, Gibson is not really boxed in a single theme which would be helpful should he take on the film as the MCU usually likes to feature a variety of genres.
This might even be a good coincidence with RDJ actually wanting to have his character's swan song be different from the normal superhero arc, hinting at the possibility that Stark might go out as a villain. Obviously, this is quite a stretch, especially since his character is the poster boy for the massive franchise. Plus the darker side of him has already been explored in "Iron Man 2" which received mixed reviews from both critics and casual moviegoers. Regardless, there are a lot of ways that RDJ and Gibson can treat "Iron Man 4."
The two veteran actors go way back with RDJ mainly giving credit to Gibson for helping him get back on the right track when he was struggling with substance addiction and alcohol dependency. When the tables turned with RDJ being on top of his acting game and Gibson being the one embroiled in various scandals, the former defended the latter. He even publicly pleaded to everyone that if they can forgive him for his misdemeanors, they should also bestow the same courtesy to his friend.
If however Gibson declines the gig, there is always "Iron Man's" original director, Jon Favreau who recently came back to the thick of things in the MCU to be the possible helmer of "Iron Man 4." The setup will be very fitting given that it was him who pushed for RDJ's casting in what would be the role that would catapult him to the major movie stardom that he enjoys today.
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 "genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist" is set to appear in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," out on July 7, 2017, and "Avengers: Infinity War" on May 4, 2018.
