Robert Downey Jr. bid his farewell to Tony Stark aka Iron Man at the end of Avengers: Endgame after 11 long years. It was his famed portrayal that helped establish the Marvel Cinematic Universe and transformed it into a billion-dollar franchise. Despite fans’ penchant for Downey’s return as Iron Man in some form or the other, Kevin Feige recently stated that such an event won’t be taking place.
While it is true that Endgame gave the genius playboy billionaire the perfect end, many fear that Downey’s return as Iron Man would end up undermining it. However, just as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has been revived in Deadpool 3 without affecting his death in Logan, maybe Marvel could do the same and use it as a blueprint.
Also Read: Robert Downey Jr.’s Reason for Leaving Marvel is the Same Hugh Jackman Gave for Logan
Robert Downey Jr. Can Return The Same Way Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Did
Ever since Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark met his end in Endgame, fans have been campaigning to have him back in the MCU. These campaigns have only turned more fervent after the subsequent disappointing box office performances of MCU’s latest projects. Kevin Feige, however, in an interview with Vanity Fair, stated,
“We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again. We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.”
While it is true that neither fans nor Marvel would want to disturb the perfect end it gave to Downey’s character, there is another way of bringing Stark back. Just as Hugh Jackman would be returning as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, without disturbing his perfect end in Logan, Marvel could go the same way to bring back Downey.
Since Marvel has access to the Multiverse and Time travel, it could either have Downey return as a variant from some other universe or could bring him back from time, without affecting Iron Man’s existing legacy.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Return Could Save The MCU
Under Robert Downey Jr. and the rest of the original Avengers actors, the Marvel Cinematic Universe got as big as it is now. It was largely due to Downe’s charismatic portrayal of Tony Stark that gave it the jump it needed and the impetus for it to keep going. But now without RDJ and the rest, the MCU has been facing huge losses despite an impressive ensemble of cast and characters.
Hence, by bringing back Downey through the ‘Wolverine way’, Marvel could potentially revive its franchise, drawing an increased viewership despite the general superhero fatigue. Furthermore, by using the Multiverse or Time Travel, the actor would have the chance to reinterpret the character and maybe present a new form of his fan-favorite role.
The MCU franchise can be streamed on Disney+.
