Two years ago, the world watched in shock and awe as some fan-favorite Avengers saw the end of their decade-long cinematic tenures. In Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow sacrificed her life at Vormir to prevent Thanos from getting the Soul Stone in a heartbreaking scene with Hawkeye, while Iron Man, in an epic final act, saved the universe with the power of the Infinity Stones and went out with the four words that essentially started it all: "I am Iron Man."
While most fans believed these storylines were sufficient for bringing their stories full circle, others could not fathom that they would no longer be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Phase 4 now underway (and already shaping up to be the most exciting one yet), some viewers are hoping that the two characters will still somehow be a part of the action.
While Scarlett Johansson will return to the big screen as Natasha Romanoff in the upcoming Black Widow solo film, there has been no word that Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark at some point in Phase 4. In an attempt to make it happen, an anonymous group of fans has paid for a billboard in Los Angeles asking Marvel Studios to bring back the beloved superhero.
The billboard reads: "For our beloved hero, please bring back Tony Stark," with the hashtag #BringBackTonyStarkToLife written underneath the message. Twitter user @LightsCameraPod posted a photo of the billboard online and it has amassed nearly 11K likes; however, it's hard to tell whether it will successfully convince Marvel to resurrect Iron Man from the dead. Despite the theories circulating the internet, the studio has no plans to bring the character back into the fold, and even Downey Jr. himself has stated he is done playing Tony Stark, as grateful as he was for the opportunity.
At most, fans could potentially see tributes to Iron Man in various Phase 4 works or beyond. Perhaps the biggest nod to the Stark legacy will come in the form of an Ironheart television series for Disney+, with If Beale Street Could Talk's Dominique Thorn set to star as RiRi Williams. While Downey Jr. will forever remain the quintessential Tony Stark to many fans, it will be nice to see how Marvel will develop Thorn's character and how her inclusion in the MCU will affect the Avengers in the future.
The Iron Man collection is now streaming on Disney+.
Source: LightsCameraPod|Twitter