Jon Favreau, a filmmaker and an actor himself, who played the role of Happy Hogan, the assistant of Tony Stark in the three “Iron Man” films, says he cannot imagine Marvel Studios producing an “Iron Man 4” without Robert Downey Jr. on the lead role.
In an interview, Favreau was quoted as saying that there is no better actor for “Iron Man 4” than Robert Downey Jr. himself, apparently in response to countless rumors saying that a replacement actor or actress is going to take the lead for the fourth installment of the very successful Marvel film franchise.
Favreau added that if Marvel Studios decides to have another actor take over the role of Tony Stark and Iron Man, it would be better for the producers to just stop the film series for a while and reboot it at a later time, details the Parent Herald.
He explained that the generation gap will redefine the character to fit for a new and perhaps younger actor.
One more time
Although Marvel Studios has not said anything official whether there would be an “Iron Man 4” or not, the speculation started swirling wildly as of late following the recent statement of Robert Downey Jr. saying that he would like to reprise his Tony Stark and Iron Man role one more time in a stand-alone film.
The actor is set to take on the same role for three different movies every year starting next year but all of them are not going to be an “Iron Man” stand-alone film.
Marvel has already confirmed that Iron Man shall be part of “Spider-Man: Homecoming” due to hit theaters in July of next year, “Avengers: Infinity War Part 1” in May of 2018, and “Avengers: Infinity War Part 2” in May 2019.
Given that the earliest that an “Iron Man 4” movie could come out is in 2020, it is likely that filming would start around 2019. Some critics think it is going to be tricky as Robert Downey Jr. would be 54 years old by then, notes Crossmap.
Accordingly, the interest of Robert Downey Jr. to do an “Iron Man 4” began when he saw a younger version of himself during the movie “Captain America: Civil War” through computer-generated imagery or CGI.
Could be one of three mystery Marvel movies?
Much of the speculation about the supposed fourth installment of the “Iron Man” film franchise are anchored on what actor Robert Downey Jr. has to say about his Tony Stark and Iron Man role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What seems clear at this point is that assuming that an “Iron Man 4” movie is greenlit by Marvel Studios, the earliest it could come out is in 2020.
Marvel Studios has three mystery movies in 2020 – one to be shown in May, one in July and the third one in November. Given the history of the first three “Iron Man” movies and the “Avengers” film, where Iron Man appears to be the lead character as well, it seems very likely that “Iron Man 4” will take the May 2020 mystery movie, assuming the film is a go.
Assuming that “Iron Man 4” is given the green light, speculations are rife in saying that it could officially become the last film of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and Iron Man.
While the Iron Man character has brought back his career from the doldrums all the way to the top and catapulted him to the status of the highest paid actor in the world four times in the last five years, Robert Downey Jr. almost certainly knows that he has to give up the character someday.
It will just be a matter of choice for him towards the end as he shall be 55 years old by 2020. He may still be 54 during its filming but at 55, the actor already knows that he is already past his action prime since he is not an action star in the mold of Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In a recent interview, Robert Downey Jr. said that he is going to wear the Iron Man suit for as long as he can but it would just only be for a few years from now.
However, everything at this point with regards to “Iron Man 4” is mere speculation pending the confirmation from Marvel Studios so all information and reports should be taken in with a fine grain of salt.
It can be recalled that Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and Iron Man started the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the first “Iron Man” movie released in May 2008.
Since then, the actor has appeared in six of the 13 movies in three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe including “Iron Man” in 2008, “Iron Man 2” in May 2010, and Marvel’s The Avengers in May 2012 for Phase 1; “Iron Man 3” in May 2013 and “Avengers: Age of Ultron in May 2015 for Phase 2; and the recently shown “Captain America: Civil War” to start Phase 3.