That would be a big no for Marvel Studios, especially from a business standpoint. Avengers’ movies are an ensemble of the Marvel superheroes so there is no doubt that Robert Downey Jr., as Tony Stark/Iron Man, is the face of the franchise.
It is precisely the reason why he is being paid top money by Marvel Studios because he is the franchise’s biggest draw despite the presence of other popular and good-looking stars like Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johannson, and more.
As a matter of fact, Robert Downey Jr. was paid more money than Chris Evans in the movie “Captain America: Civil War” despite the fact that it was an Evans-starrer first and foremost.
So the rumors about the early demise of Tony Stark is way off the charts and should really be taken with a fine grain of salt.
In “Captain America: Civil War,” Tony Stark expressed his desire during a presentation at the M.I.T. that he is looking for a young scholar that would continue his work.
The comic books built on that scene and introduced Riri Williams. However, it is not an assurance that the movie shall also take the same path.
As far as fans and critics of the “Iron Man” franchise are concerned, they still believe that Robert Downey Jr. is destined to become Iron Man for “Iron Man 4” as there is no better actor to portray the role of the genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist Tony Stark.