Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He Will Return as Iron Man

in Marvel

Robert Downey Jr. in an iron man suit with the helmet partially open, revealing their face.

Credit: Marvel Studios

Robert Downey Jr. is a newly-minted Academy Award winner, but all the accolades in the world won’t stop him from returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in a court room scene looking defeated
Credit: Marvel Studios

More than any other actor in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. can be credited with the franchise’s incredible success. In many ways, Downey Jr. is as much the architect of the box-office-dominating comic book behemoth as Marvel Studios Chief Kevin Feige or any of the many, many writers and directors who have contributed to it. While he may not be credited as a behind-the-scenes creative on any of the nine MCU movies in which he featured, it is well-known that RDJ set the template for the quippy, improvisational tone of the series.

Related: Marvel Nearly Ready To Replace Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man

Famously, Robert Downey Jr. was just beginning to emerge from a low point in his critically acclaimed but troubled career when he was cast as billionaire superhero Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008). At the time, no one (except maybe Kevin Feige) had any suspicion that casting Downey Jr. as Tony Stark would lead to one of Hollywood’s greatest comebacks. By 2013, Downey Jr. was the highest-paid actor in the world, a title he would hold for three years running.

Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man
Credit: Marvel Studios

Then, Avengers: Endgame (2019) hit theaters, and Tony Stark sacrificed his life to save the universe, seemingly closing out both the Infinity Saga and Robert Downey Jr.’s journey as Iron Man. Since then, the actor has kept a relatively low profile, appearing in the little loved Dolittle (2020), “Sr.” (2022), and Oppenheimer (2023), for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for portraying United States Atomic Energy Commission chair Lewis Strauss.

Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. and Kevin Feige in black and white
Credit: Inside the Magic

But even with the acclaim for his role in the Christopher Nolan film, millions have had only one question: will Robert Downey Jr. return as Iron Man?

It’s a fair question. Many former Marvel stars seem to have misgivings about their time in the franchise, from Chris Evans’ extremely vocal desire to leave Captain America behind to the massive Disney lawsuit with which Scarlett Johansson capped her time as Black Widow. However, it turns out that Robert Downey Jr. is ready to come back as Iron Man any time he’s asked.

Related: Marvel in Talks To Bring Back ‘Iron Man’ Actor, Report Says

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in 'Iron Man' (2008)
Credit: Marvel Studios

In a recent Esquire interview, Robert Downey Jr. revealed that he was perfectly willing to reprise his Tony Stark role, saying he would do it “Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

There have already been rumors that Robert Downey Jr. could return as Iron Man in Secret Wars, the upcoming Avengers film that will reportedly close out the ongoing Multiverse Saga. Of course, there have been words that everyone from Wesley Snipes’ Blade to Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider will show up, but who knows? At the very least, it sounds like Kevin Feige has RDJ locked down already.

Do you think Iron Man will ever really return to the MCU? Give us your theories how it will happen in the comments below!

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