The MCU is moving ahead with its phase three through the upcoming Captain America: Civil War which prompted queries on whether Marvel is also working on Iron Man 4. Although he has addressed the matter before, actor Robert Downey Jr has stated once again that his next solo outing as the titular character is unlikely.
The fourth Iron Man film may not hit the big screen, or at least not anytime soon as Downey Jr. said that "it is not in the cards" for the cinematic universe. According to IGN, Downey Jr. also described the upcoming Captain America film as his Iron Man 4.
"it's back to the thing we all recognize. Everything pulls over to the side of the road when the thunder of an Avengers thing comes through because that's how it is until it changes. If it changes." Downey Jr. said about what will happen after Civil War.
Downey Jr.'s answer was also supported by co-star Chris Evans who said that the film will "change the dynamic forever," as reported by The Week. After Captain America: Civil War, Downey Jr. is set to appear in the Avengers 3, but it has not been confirmed whether he will star in the two Infinity War films.
Moreover, according to director Joe Russo, it would be impossible to replace Robert Downey Jr. to play the role of Iron Man in the MCU. "It's almost impossible to replace Robert; he's the biggest movie star in the world. One close-up from Robert is worth another actor's entire performance; he's incredibly gifted and insanely talented. I think if and when he is done with the character, I think you will find that Iron Man might disappear for a while.", he said per report by /Film.
Russo also added that Marvel could choose to reboot the character by putting generational gap, but would still take some time. Executive Producer Jeremy Latcham previously hinted the end of a part of the MCU after the Infinity War films, however, whether or not Iron Man is among those who would face its end is yet to be known.
Robert Downey Jr. suited up for the character of Iron Man from the 2008 flick, as well as its sequel in 2010, and the third film in 2013. All three films were box office hits acquiring more than $2 billion worldwide all in all.
