Fifteen years ago, Robert Downey Jr.'s charismatic and high-powered portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the character's first solo live-action feature directed by Jon Favreau. With ten films spanning eleven years, including three solo features, Iron Man is a superhero beloved by millions of Marvel and MCU fans and marked a major comeback for Downey Jr. in what is already a prolific acting career.

With Phase Five of the MCU underway with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, some are wondering if Iron Man could make a return to the long-running superhero franchise. While an Iron Man comeback may sound enticing, would it be possible or necessary?

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Iron Man Probably Won't Be Back

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For the most part, there appears to be absolute certainty that Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man will not be returning to the MCU, especially after Marvel executive Stephen Broussard told io9 that the character is "no longer on the table." MCU fans last saw Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, where the superhero made the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Thanos and his army. While Iron Man's death was one of the most emotionally powerful moments in the MCU, it was also the perfect sendoff after over a decade of a well-scripted journey.

Bringing Tony Stark back would be a mistake because his character arc is already complete, from a successful billionaire who ran his company named after his father, to a superhero who made it his top priority to protect the world from dangerous threats and weapons of mass destruction. Iron Man also transitioned from his self-centered, egocentric personality, to a team player, leader, and mentor. Having Stark return would be pleasing to many fans, but it could be anti-climactic and tarnish the character's legacy.

Tony Stark's Tech Will Live On In The MCU

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One of Tony Stark's greatest qualities is his expertise in creating new technology not only for weapons but for defense, flying, and speed. All of these qualities led to the creation of his Iron Man suits. As each film raised the stakes in terms of the villains Stark and/or the Avengers face, every Iron Man suit gets more advanced with firepower, including the arc reactors, nano-gauntlets, and A.I. systems (J.A.R.V.I.S., F.R.I.D.A.Y., and E.D.I.T.H.).

Stark's Iron Man tech also led to the creation of suits for fellow heroes like War Machine, Spider-Man, and Hulk (the Hulkbuster and the time travel suits in Endgame are especially memorable). Unfortunately, while Stark's inventions were always meant for good, there were powerful MCU villains who used his technology for malicious intent, corruption, and world domination (such as Obadiah Stane and Ultron). However, Stark's tech will live on in the MCU since it'll be in the right hands, including his protégé Spider-Man who understands and can work with Stark's inventory for his own suits in future films, or Bruce Banner with his technical expertise and his experience with the Hulkbuster (whenever the Hulk himself can't fight).

Marvel Needs Space To Develop New Characters

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Another major reason why Marvel needs to move forward from Iron Man is that the MCU needs to continue to develop new characters, especially the heroines. One of the best new female characters right now is Riri Williams/Ironheart (who made her introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Riri built her own suit of armor that resembles Iron Man's suits due to its high-powered blasters and flight. Ironheart is a character that can draw inspiration from Iron Man while also telling her own story.

Shuri is another heroine who continues to build her reputation as an intelligent scientist who keeps improving upon the advanced technology in Wakanda, while also increasing her role as the princess of her home country after the untimely death of her brother T'Challa and taking his place as the Black Panther. Shuri is young and may not be the most experienced fighter, but in the Black Panther sequel, her character grows and transforms into a leader for her people and a mentor to Riri. Shuri and Riri have the capability to develop more advanced tech and armor to protect Wakanda and provide resources to the world, similar to what Iron Man has done.

Cassie Lang (Scott Lang/Ant-Man's daughter), Kate Bishop (Hawkeye's new partner), America Chavez (from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), She-Hulk, and Yelena Belova (Black Widow's "sister") are other examples of new and more recent female characters with powerful physical abilities who can further grow in future MCU projects. Reminiscent of how Spider-Man learned from Iron Man, these heroines have important mentors that inspire their respective journeys.

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Jonathan Majors (who portrays Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and a variant of Kang, He Who Remains, in the season one finale of the hit show Loki) has expressed interest in having his villain fight against Iron Man. While seeing Stark and Kang go at it would be an epic battle, the MCU is at a stage in which the creators want to see new characters grow, develop, and fight against powerful enemies who intend to wreak havoc on the universe.

Tony Stark/Iron Man will always be remembered as "the Godfather" of the MCU who skyrocketed this popular superhero franchise and became one of the greatest Avengers alongside Steve Rodgers/Captain America and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. However, after a decade of the original Avengers team, there are other superheroes and villains who can stretch their character arcs, while also adding diversity by including comic-book roles with various races and cultural backgrounds for a new generation of MCU fans.

MORE: Iron Man’s Armor: Every Suit Tony Stark Wore In The MCU