Robert Downey Jr. Once Explained Why he Was Hesitant to Do an ‘Iron Man’ Sequel
Robert Downey Jr. helped turn Iron Man into an A-list superhero thanks to his popular Iron Man trilogy. Despite the third feature’s success, however, Downey wasn’t too sure about doing another solo superhero movie.
What Robert Downey Jr. said about doing ‘Iron Man’ 4
Iron Man 3 was far from the last that Marvel fans saw of his superhero alter ego Tony Stark. Iron Man would continue to be a constant presence in the Marvel franchise by appearing in other superhero films like Civil War. This all set the stage for the tech mogul to make his last two appearances in the features Avengers Infinity War and Endgame. But as far as an Iron Man solo dventure, Downey didn’t rule out the possibility. But at one point in time, there were just many factors for Downey to consider before committing to a fourth film.
“To me, it comes down to what’s the half-life of people enjoying a character? It’s different on TV, where you expect the longevity over seasons while movies get a two or three year break. Marvel keeps stepping up its game, and I appreciate the way Kevin Feige and all the creatives there think. They are as in the creative wheelhouse as any great studio has been at any point,” Downey once told Deadline.
Downey further added that he was slightly worried about exhausting audiences with the character with a potential fourth film. And on a personal level, he wondered if an Iron Man 4 would impede other creative endeavors he wanted to puruse. Add to the fact that he wasn’t getting any younger, and the idea of doing a solo sequel was a tough sell for Downey.
“But I’m not 42, I’m turning 50 and now I’ll have two small kids instead of one grown one, and eight Team Downey projects with people who are imagining I’m not just spending Warner Bros’ money out of vanity, but that I’m taking it seriously. It all has become this thing that has to be figured out. It has come to a head, right now, where the points of departure will be,” he said.
Robert Downey Jr. is ‘surprisingly’ open-minded to coming back as Iron Man
It’s not impossible, but the chances of Downey doing another Iron Man film now seem very unlikely after the events of his last Marvel film. Still, the MCU has kept the character fresh in people’s minds through various references. He’s even made more than a few appearances in Marvel’s What If…? Animated anthology, although Downey didn’t voice any of the characters. Despite Downey’s long history with the character and its fitting conclusion, he’d still be more than excited to reprise the role.
“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,” Downey told Esquire.
Downey kept his word about working with Feige again, although it wasn’t in the way that many fans thought it would be. On July 28, 2024, Downey was announced as the MCU’s new Dr. Doom at its San Diego comic con, shocking many. Downey recalled Feige pitched the idea after sitting down with he and his wife Susan Downey.
“He said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me, if you were to come back…’” Downey said on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter Podcast. “Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait. Come back as what?’”
That was when Downey and Feige explored the idea of the Oscar-winner playing Dr. Doom, which they knew MCU fans wouldn’t have seen coming.
“How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations?” And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked into this character. Later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right,’” Downey said.
