'Iron Man 4' Rumors: Robert Downey Jr. To Reprise Role In Untitled Marvel Film For 2020 Release?

By Denise See, Christian Post Contributor Thursday, January 26, 2017

Robert Downey Jr., the man arguably responsible for launching the superhero film wave, may be hanging up his iron suit once and for all. With three "Iron Man" movies already out there, is there still a chance for a fourth?

It has been said that Downey may be getting too old to portray Tony Stark. The role comes with a lot of physical activities and requires the actor to be in tip-top shape. Plus, there are rumors that his salary demands have become too high for Marvel Studios to accommodate. For these reasons - along with the fact that Marvel has an entire slew of new superhero films to plan for - it may be impossible to produce an "Iron Man 4."

However, that does not mean that Downey will never appear as the character again. In fact, he is set to reprise his role this year for "Spider-Man: Homecoming," which will be released in July. Apart from that, there are also two "Avengers" films lined up in the coming years.

But there have also been speculations that Tony Stark could appear in one of the Marvel movies set for a 2020 release. There are three yet-untitled films due to bow that year. And with Marvel being so secretive, many have theorized that one of the dates could be for "Iron Man 4" or a film starring Downey as the character.

Downey had previously expressed an interest in reprising the role for another film, but he also does not believe that "Iron Man 4" will happen.

"I don't think that's in the cards, he told USA Today. "In a way it's 'Cap 3' but for me it's like my little 'Iron Man 4' and then 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."

Should an "Iron Man 4" come to fruition, though, rumors say that it will feature a new character taking over as the metal hero. Riri Williams, an MIT student introduced in the "Iron Man" comics, is speculated to appear in the fourth film and will be mentored by Tony Stark.

Since everything is still up in the air right now, readers are advised to take this news with a grain of salt.