Disney
Back in late October, a bombshell report about the Marvel Cinematic Universe was published that basically outlined the current turmoil that the behemoth studio is currently going through.
While the studio used to be the surest bet that Hollywood had ever seen, recent years have seen the company lose the sheen that once made it so foolproof.
As a result of their current issues — namely, waning interest from fans, dipping quality control, and their next “phase” of films being centered around the embattled Jonathan Majors — the report from Variety indicated that the studio has had internal discussions about bringing back/reviving iconic characters such as Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff and Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark/Iron Man.
While many fans have long speculated that characters such as those two and Chris Evans’ Steve Rodgers/Captain America would be returning for the eventual Secret Wars film in 2027, this latest report makes it seem as those that drastic pivot — which could also feature a switch from focusing on Majors’ Kang the Conqueror to Doctor Doom — may come sooner than expected.
But what would it take to get the likes of Downey Jr. back in the fold, particularly considering the fact that money itself is likely no longer enough to sway him (unless Disney offered truly unfathomable numbers, like something north of $100 million per film) and he’s likely on the verge of winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor?
Well, Downey Jr. himself once spoke to exactly what it would take to get him back in Iron Man’s iconic scarlet and gold suit.
“There would have to be a super compelling argument and a series of events that made it obvious,” the 58-year-old told Joe Rogan back in 2020.
The series of events that could lead to Downey Jr’s return, of course, is both the Multiverse Saga — which has already shown, with the likes of Doctor Strange, that there are endless different versions of these heroes out there — and Secret Wars, which is an iconic Marvel storyline that pits all of the franchise’s greatest heroes against each other.