When Robert Downey Jr was cast to play Tony Stark in the 2008 film Iron Man, not many had huge expectations of him to play the billionaire superhero. However, Downey Jr exceeded all expectations.
He played the iconic character in 10 Marvel movies, starting with Iron Man. Downey Jr’s journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe came to an end when he sacrificed his life to kill Thanos and his army in Avengers: Endgame.
Despite being more than four years since Downey Jr’s on-screen death, fans have always wondered if he will one day make a huge return as Iron Man. With that being said, here are six ways that Robert Downey Jr can return to the MCU despite his death in Avengers: Endgame.
Robert Downey Jr as Ironheart’s Best Friend
In the comics, Tony Stark created an artificial intelligence of himself as a genius move to leave a part of himself behind even if his body no longer worked. The brilliant inventor sent the A.I. version of himself to Riri Williams (Ironheart).
The storyline piqued Marvel fans’ interest as it could have been a great way to bring Downey Jr back into the mix. Unfortunately, the dream won’t become a reality.
Marvel’s upcoming Ironheart miniseries has cast Lyric Ross as Riri’s best friend. It sadly shuts the door on this theory about Downey’s Jr comeback to Marvel.
A Multiverse Variant of Iron Man
Marvel has been highly interested in the concept of multiverse over the last few years. If a storyline featuring a different Iron Man from another universe gets green-lit at Marvel, it could fulfill the dream of bringing back Robert Downey Jr.
After all, the concept has already been tried and tested in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The audience saw an epic saga of multiple variants of Dr. Stephen Strange in the movie.
Additionally, Marvel has also shown this in their TV show, Loki. So, if Downey Jr agrees to a new contract with the MCU in the future, a multiverse variant of the superhero could be the best bet to bring him back.
Robert Downey Jr Could be Back to MCU with the Help of Time Travel
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has left no stone unturned in terms of providing sheer entertainment to the audience. It was none other than Tony Stark who figured out the concept of time travel in Avengers: Endgame.
The Avengers used it to travel back in time on multiple instances to collect the Infinity Stones. However, a huge drawback to traveling in time is that it creates multiple timelines.
But it can still be used to bring back the fan-favorite Iron Man to the MCU in the future. However, as of now, there’s no confirmation of this storyline being used by Marvel.
Iron Man in Flashbacks is Technically a Return
There are times when a Marvel movie or TV show takes the help of flashbacks to refresh the audience’s memories about a past incident.
While the past event has already taken place, it’s technically a return for Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man. Sure, it’s not the best way to bring back the beloved character, but it’s definitely better than nothing.
Marvel may use flashbacks in their upcoming projects, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Iron Man Could be Resurrected Using Mystical or Technological Means
The technology that Marvel characters use is highly advanced. But even with such amazing tech, it’s nearly impossible to resurrect Tony Stark.
But one way to ensure that Robert Downey Jr returns as Iron Man in Marvel is to collect the Infinity Stones and bring back Stark.
While the method is theoretically plausible, it will require some characters to travel back in time and get back the Infinity Stones to wish for Stark’s resurrection.
A Prequel Movie or Series to Bring Back Iron Man
Following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, there was a 22-day gap before Avengers: Endgame began. During this time, Tony Stark was stranded with Nebula in space for over 20 days.
After Stark’s return to Earth, he explodes in anger at Captain America for essentially leaving him alone. The movie then takes a massive five-year time skip before the true story of Avengers: Endgame starts.
A series or movie set in that time period around Tony Stark’s life would be a great way to finally see Robert Downey Jr don the role of Iron Man in the MCU.
