Marvel fans are seemingly in for a treat as reports have indicated that the genius director duo Russo brothers are finally on board to helm the upcoming installations of ‘Avengers’. They will reportedly focus on ‘Avengers 5’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ initially, and eventually move to some other projects.
Though neither Marvel nor the Russos have officially confirmed the news, fans are abuzz with possibilities of what might be cooking as part of the upcoming installments of ‘Avengers‘. A popular, and rather interesting, theory suggests that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark might make an unexpected return — but not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom. Here’s what this exciting theory says.
Robert Downey Jr. May Still Be A Part Of MCU, But Not As The Ironic Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr has become synonymous with Iron Man not just in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also in retrospect of his career. RDJ launched the MCU in 2008 with ‘Iron Man‘ and has since starred in some pivotal Marvel films, including the ‘Avengers’, ‘Captain America’, and ‘Spider-Man’ series as the billionaire superhero.
His fans, however, bid a tearful goodbye as his journey ended in 2019 when his character Tony Stark heroically sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. Since his exit from the story narrative along with Captain America, the MCU has been without its cornerstone characters.
Marvel Studios, however, continues to honor their legacies through other heroes. Iron Man’s influence has been retained through characters like Rhodey, who is set to lead the ‘Armor Wars‘ movie, and Riri Williams, who debuted in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘ and will head Disney+’s ‘Ironheart’.
Despite this, fans have hopes and some very speculative theories about RDJ’s potential return as Iron Man in future films. However, one particular theory stands apart, and it has the iconic actor keeping aside his Iron Man suit to focus on another role.
In Marvel Comics, the ‘Infamous Iron Man‘ series sees Doctor Doom becoming Iron Man after Tony Stark’s death, a storyline that could electrify the MCU. And fans are convinced that the theory holds a lot of potential.
In case you missed it: Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man Was Set To Star In ‘Deadpool And Wolverine’, So What Happened?
Possibility Of Robert Downey Jr’s Return As An Iron Man Variant Has Fans Excited
Imagine this: Doctor Doom and Iron Man, two iconic Marvel characters, are melded into one. While it may seem a bit ambitious, many fans are convinced that the theory holds ground and that RDJ can in fact return as an Iron Man variant from the multiverse.
After battling Thanos and resorting to magic when technology fails, this version of Tony Stark would be presented as someone who has morphed into Doctor Doom. After assuming victory over Thanos, he becomes aware of the multiverse and the even greater threat posed by Kang variants.
Doctor Doom thus makes a comeback with determination to protect the multiverse, aiming to dominate the threats, and ultimately creating Battleworld.
Moreover, the theory also ties into Marvel’s upcoming ‘Fantastic Four‘ casting. The actors, including Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, are believed to play their roles only until a franchise reboot. This setup allows RDJ to play the Iron Man/Doctor Doom hybrid character temporarily.
Rumors also suggest that ‘Avengers: Secret Wars‘ might reboot the MCU, which would create the perfect backdrop for RDJ’s potential return. Moreover, RDJ himself has expressed willingness to reprise his role. “Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA,” he had said right after winning an Oscar for ‘Oppenheimer’.
While all this speculations is very exciting, fans can only wait to find out how much of it would be plausible.
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