Ever since Tony Stark saw his demise in Avengers: Endgame, fans have been relentlessly campaigning to Marvel Studios to bring him back to life in a future project. Now, the writers of Spider-Man: No Way Home have expained why Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man wasn't a part of the film.
Fans thought Iron Man might appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home since there had been several rumors regarding major superhero cameos in the lead-up to the film's release. However, Downey Jr.'s Iron Man did not end up being one of them.
The writers of Spider-Man: No Way Home have an answer to that question. In a recent interview on The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers revealed that Marvel Studios had denied them any option to bring back Downey Jr.'s character. They said that such an idea was a non-starter, at least in the halls of Marvel Studios. They also added that it's unlikely for Tony Stark to be making any on-screen appearances any time soon while addressing some of the plot holes that fans have previously brought up.
In the MCU story, Downey Jr.'s Iron Man shared a very close relationship with Tom Holland's Spider-Man. They're bond was so strong that Peter Parker continued to grieve Tony Stark's death after Avengers: Endgame in Spider-Man: Far From Home. The third installment, therefore, seemed to be the perfect time to make a reunion between the two characters happen. But McKenna and Sommers explained that they couldn't just keep on going to the Tony well. If anything, they said Far From Home should have made it clear that everyone, including Peter Parker, had made peace with Tony Stark's passing and moved on from it.
Although McKenna and Sommers are adamant that Tony Stark's death is permanent, fans are still clinging to the hope that he will return to the franchise at some point. With the multiverse concept in full swing for Phase 4, there is always the chance that another version of Iron Man could show up in a brand new story.
However, Marvel Studios has made it clear to its writers that the multiverse cannot be used to undo the death of the original Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame. Fans may just have to swallow the hard truth that their beloved Iron Man is gone for good.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in theaters everywhere.
