A Marvel Exec Does Not Think Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark Will Return to the MCU
In the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame, the storyline of Robert Downey Jr.’s character Tony Stark was brought to a close. After kickstarting the Marvel Cinematic Universe that fans know today with Iron Man, Downey’s character received an emotional sendoff. While some fans have hoped that Tony might be resurrected in future movies, Marvel Studios’ Victoria Alonso does not think Downey returning is in the cards.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Marvel character won’t be resurrected
Alonso is the Executive Vice President of Physical Production for Marvel Studios. In an interview with Clarín, Alonso discussed the current status of several MCU projects including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and a second Black Panther film.
The Marvel Studios executive was also asked about the possibility of Tony being resurrected in future movies, and Alonso does not think it will happen, saying:
“Tony Stark is dead. And that’s our story. Resurrection I do not know, I do not know how we would do it. It seems to me that the story of Tony Stark is told by us. Hence, he has left his inheritance, who he is for example in Spiderman, because Peter Parker has been a false son, so you see a lot of what Tony Stark would have been in Peter Parker. And it seems to me that you see that constantly in how one person influences the other. But no, at the moment we don’t have any plans.”
What the Russo brothers think about resurrecting Tony Stark
It is no secret that out of all of the Avengers, Iron Man was a fan-favorite character. This is what made his death in Avengers: Endgame so difficult for fans to process. As much as Marvel fans love Tony, Avengers: Endgame directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo think there would have to be a good reason to bring Tony back to life.
“… certainly we’ve always said this and we believe this about stakes have to be real, and if they’re not real, like the audience’s emotional investment in the moment and in those characters in the narrative is only…is contingent upon them feeling like there’s potential, there’s something to be lost,” Anthony Russo said on the Reel Blend podcast.
He continued, “So to answer your question, I think it would be in the context of that. It depends on how he was brought back. It depends on the storytelling, but it is certainly something that has to be earned. It’s certainly something that would shock and surprise audiences, so you can’t simply just bring him back. There would have to be a really compelling, innovative, unpredictable narrative event to find your way there in order for it to be worth it.”
Robert Downey Jr. might appear in ‘Black Widow’
Marvel’s Black Widow is scheduled to premiere on May 7, 2021. While it is the first film to launch Phase Four of the MCU, the movie is a prequel that takes place following the events of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.
In 2019, Deadline reported that Downey would make an appearance as Tony in Black Widow. However, these rumors of a cameo are unconfirmed. If Downey did appear, it would not be the same as Tony being resurrected because Black Widow takes place before Tony’s death.
