Unlike previous reports, Robert Downey Jr. will not be reprising his role as Iron Man.
That’s according to definitive recent comments made by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
Previously in a report, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said Downey Jr. was “part of the family,” but when it comes to his return, “we’ll have to see.”
However, the Marvel Boss is taking a u-turn in a new Vanity Fair cover story on the RDJ.
In the interview, Feige plainly stated his intention to permanently preserve Stark’s dramatic death scene in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame as the character’s conclusive arc finale.
“We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,” Feige said. “We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.”
In the actor’s profile, RUsso brothers also added a few comments regarding RDJ’s return to the MCU, saying,
“We’d already said tearful goodbyes on the last day of shooting. Everybody had moved on emotionally,” Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo added. “We promised him it would be the last time we made him do it-ever.”
While rumors continue to swirl about Downey Jr.’s future cameos through multiverse stories like 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars, Feige has firmly shut the door on new chapters for the original Iron Man specifically.
Back in 2008, Downey Jr.’s peerless portrayal of the quick-witted industrialist was instrumental in launching the prolific MCU to heights few could have imagined.
And 15 years later, Feige still considers casting Downey Jr. “one of the greatest decisions in the history of Hollywood,” crediting him with the studios’ stratospheric success.
But when it comes to further Iron Man action beyond Endgame’s heartrending sacrifice scene, Feige has drawn the line.
For him and fellow Marvel creatives like Endgame director Joe Russo, tearful goodbyes have already been said.
And after 11 years living inside Tony Stark’s trademark goatee and gold-titanium armor, even the most loyal proponents of Downey Jr’s genius seem resigned to permanently hanging up the hero’s high-tech suits.
As a Marvel fan, this is heartbreaking news for me and for all others out there. While having to swallow this pill, I’ll take a moment to finally digest this news as it could be a reality.
Feige however didn’t deny anything regarding Chris Evan’s return as Captain America as rumored before, which he later denied in an interview by saying, “You never say never.”
Marvel stars and Bosses have a history of keeping secrets even if they have to lie. Do you think he’s telling the truth about the Avengers: Secret Wars comebacks? Share in the comments below.