The Only Way To Rescue The MCU From Iron Man's Shadow Is To Recast Him
WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home!
Despite Tony Stark’s death, MCU Phase 4 continues to rely upon his character to trigger new events, suggesting that the only way for the MCU to move forward is to recast Iron Man. Writers for Spider-Man: No Way Home have stated that Marvel is trying to move past Iron Man. However, many MCU Phase 4 movies and shows have referenced Iron Man, such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,Loki, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Additionally, several upcoming series will deal directly with Tony Stark’s legacy, including Armor Wars and Ironheart. This hints that the MCU might not be done with one of its most popular characters yet.
However, Robert Downey Jr. is done playing Iron Man. After portraying Tony Stark in 11 Marvel films, RDJ retired from the role. Believing that he has done all he could for Stark’s character, RDJ is now focusing on projects outside of the MCU. To mark his split from the Marvel franchise, RDJ even unfollowed all of his costars from The Avengers on social media.
Related: RDJ's Iron Man Should Only Return To The MCU For One Character's Story
Such was Iron Man's influence over the events of the first three Phases of the MCU that simply ignoring him as a presence will not work. Both in terms of his role in shaping the Avengers and contributing spectacular technological advancements to the world of the MCU, continuing to mention him in passing will only enhance his haunting presence across the franchise. However, his Avengers: Endgame death does not mean that the MCU cannot use Iron Man’s character anymore. Although the role is strongly tied to RDJ’s performance, other actors could also portray Stark well. For example, Mick Wingert voiced Iron Man
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