Robert Downey Jr.

Sorry for those holding out that Robert Downey Jr. could return as Iron Man but the actor has once again confirmed that he is done playing the part of “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” Tony Stark. After the conclusion of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ fans have all known that to be a fact, but with time travel, a multiverse, AI’s, and prequels to boot, there was always a chance that Marvel Studios could find a way to bring back the legendary hero.

That just isn’t meant to be.

While promoting the upcoming release of ‘Dolittle,’ Downey recently did an interview with Parade where it was inevitable that his time as Tony Stark would come up. His response should put to rest any hopes of a potential revival:

“The war for me is over. I personally have alighted to greener pastures. There’s been two times where I’ve gone into a feverish-almost-like-a-waking dream in prep for something. It’s not so much that I related to him as much as I just presumed that it was my destiny to build this character around all of my experiences.”

I really don’t think anyone should be too surprised at this. With the actor having already been working on a contract basis and showing an interest in leaving the MCU, his death would be the perfect trigger to allow him to stop playing the character. While there are a variety of ways we could see him return, I am thrilled that the actor does not seem interested in pursuing any of them. Much like in real life, death in a franchise should have a permanent impact.

Do you hope that Marvel Studios and Robert Downey Jr. have a change of heart and bring the character back?  Share your thoughts in the comments below, True Believers!