Kevin Feige has not minced his words about the return of Iron Man, being very forthcoming with information about the undoing of Tony Stark’s death. As far as the head of the MCU is concerned, there is no way Tony whom we all knew and loved will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Tony Stark’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame was the end point of a decade-long character arc, undoing which is definitely not on the cards for any future MCU projects. Given that Robert Downey Jr. is open to returning to the MCU and that the franchise is currently deep into its Multiverse Saga, the Iron Man alum could return to the MCU as a variant, one that has been long rumored to be coming to the franchise.
Robert Downey Jr. could return to the MCU as Superior Iron Man
Superior Iron Man was heavily rumored to be a part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with Tom Cruise allegedly attached to the role. However, since this never came to fruition, the opportunity to bring back RDJ is wide open.
There are rumors online that Marvel had categorically refused to have an Iron Man cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, which points towards some plans with Robert Downey Jr. at least, if not a variant of Iron Man played by him.
Superior Iron Man could appear in the MCU as part of a revenge-fueled Illuminati, invading the mainline universe to eliminate Wanda Maximoff. Given that the status of the character is up in the air, it is completely possible that this scenario could play out in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Superior Iron Man could be an antagonistic character in the MCU
Superior Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr., could be an interesting twist on the character in the MCU. Either as a part of the Illuminati, or as an evil variant from the multiverse, Superior Iron Man could pose quite the challenge for a new team of Avengers, and could symbolically hand the torch down to the new team, which could best Superior Iron Man as a way of proving themselves worthy as Avengers.
However, there are also other ways in which Robert Downey Jr. can return to the MCU. A popular version of the theory is that he would be returning as the AI for Rhodey or Riri’s suit, as was the case for a brief time in the comics. Not only would this keep Iron Man’s death intact, but it would also allow fans to enjoy the wit and humor of Tony Stark in the MCU since again.
Deadpool & Wolverine hits theatres on July 26th, 2024.
