The continued talks about when Robert Downey Jr. will return as Iron Man in the MCU prove how Marvel Studios is failing post-Infinity Saga.
Four years since Robert Downey Jr. wrapped up his run as Iron Man talks about his possible return continues proving that Marvel Studios is failing the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU has finally entered Phase 5 of the Multiverse Saga and is actively laying the groundwork for the franchise’s next culminating event. Despite being in an entirely new overarching narrative, certain events and characters in the Infinity Saga are still very relevant in its current storytelling. That includes the franchise’s inaugural hero, Iron Man, with discussions primarily about if Downey can come back to the MCU as Tony Stark.
Avengers: Endgame marked the end of the Infinity Saga and saw the departure of some MCU founding heroes. While Captain America got to retire and live the life he always deserved with Peggy Carter, Iron Man tragically died to save the universe. Tony Stark leaving a young family makes his sacrifice so much more tragic, but, overall, it was the perfect way to cap off the character’s MCU story considering his overall personal journey. Even as the franchise moves on and focuses on the Multiverse Saga, however, talks about Iron Man’s potential return persists, which is indicative of the overall state of the franchise post-Infinity Saga.
RDJ’s Return Talk Shows The MCU Has Failed To Move On From Iron Man
The ending of Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania officially lays the groundwork for the Avengers’ next big fight against Kang the Conqueror. Amid all of this, however, Downey’s potential Iron Man return continues to be a favorite topic of conversation, not just among fans but also people within the franchise. Mark Ruffalo is optimistic about Iron Man’s return, while Jonathan Majors named Iron Man as the character he wants Kang the Conqueror to face. This proves that the MCU is yet to fully move on from Tony Stark.
The fact that Iron Man’s possible return is still such a hot topic highlights that Marvel Studios hasn’t found a way to introduce someone that the public can really root for the way they did with Stark. Given where the franchise is in terms of the Multiverse Saga timeline, this should be a cause for concern. Between criticisms about the lack of cohesiveness when setting up its new overarching storyline and the absence of a proper Avengers team, the MCU could be looking at a difficult road in staging an emotionally satisfying Multiverse Saga.
MCU’s Multiverse Saga Makes It Difficult To Have Another Tony Stark
Aside from Iron Man’s arc, the way Marvel Studios also developed the character was integral to his overall popularity. By The Avengers‘ Battle of New York, Iron Man had appeared in three films: two standalone movies and a post-credit cameo for The Incredible Hulk. For the rest of the Infinity Saga, he continued to appear in other heroes’ movies which allowed Marvel Studios to continue to move his arc forward, setting up his eventual death in Avengers: Endgame. Sadly, the franchise simply doesn’t have that kind of careful character development in the Multiverse Saga.
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The Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange were perfect candidates to be Iron Man’s counterparts in this post-Infinity Saga universe. After playing important, albeit supporting, roles in the fight against Thanos, both are tipped to be integral to the burgeoning Multiverse Saga. They are likely going to lead the Avengers against Kang the Conqueror. However, it has been a while since they were last seen in the MCU, and with no obvious projects for them in the immediate future, Marvel Studios just can’t fully flesh out their characters the same way it did with Iron Man.
