Robert Downey Jr. won’t rule out a return as Iron Man: “We’ll see”

Back in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. made his first appearance as Tony Sark in Iron Man. Since then, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has achieved unprecedented success, turning out 23 movies and smashing records at nearly every turn.

But all things come to an end, and in Avengers: Endgame, Downey Jr. took his final bow as Iron Man, much to the dismay of fans. With or without him, the MCU moves on in May with the release of Black Widow, the first of six planned Phase 4 movies.

Downey Jr. recently appeared on Today to promote his new movie Dolittle, but of course talk eventually turned to the MCU. Is it possible the actor could ever return as Iron Man? “I am so pleased, just that, I wound up where I have,” Downey Jr. said, vague as can be. “I’m very fortunate so, I’m not the kind of guy who — I want to try to keep it classy. We’ll see.”

While it’s not a definite no, it’s unfortunately by no means a yes! Let’s stay optimistic.

This wasn’t the first time Downey Jr. has been asked about an Iron Man return, and I’m certain it’s far from the last! He also appeared on Extra, where he once again didn’t rule out a return. “Yeah, anything could happen,” he said.

"As far as I’m concerned I’ve hung up my guns and I’m good to let it go. I also think that Marvel is on this journey now where they’re trying a bunch of other stuff. I’m excited for them to see how all of that goes. It’s hard to project but we got a lot of other stuff we want to do."

Most recently, during an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Downey Jr. said it would take a compelling story arc that would be impossible for him to turn down. “I’ve done all I could with that character,” he said. “There would have to be a super compelling argument and a series of events that made it obvious.”

He also repeated what he’s said most often in interviews. “But the other thing is, I wanna do other stuff”

And he is already doing other stuff.  He’s been hard at work since Avengers: Endgame, now taking on the iconic role as Dr. John Dolittle in Dolittle, a reimagining of the classic 1967 movie. “I’ve played Chaplin, I’ve played Sherlock, so I wanted to up my game a bit,” he joked on Today.

I’m sure that, if at any time down the line Kevin Feige and Marvel fancy seeing Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU, they can make it happen. In the world of comic book movies, death is no obstacle.

In the meantime, you can see Dolittle in theaters now! Although if you put stock in reviews, you may not want to.

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