Star Robert Downey Jr. has taken the expression “never say never” to heart, evident in him saying Iron Man might one day return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Downey Jr. last appeared as Iron Man in the wildly popular superhero team-up film Avengers: Endgame. Although his character Tony Stark died in the film, Downey Jr. doesn’t seem ready to close the door on a potential return.

It’s not outlandish to think that Iron Man will one day return to the MCU, as Marvel is no stranger to delving into alternate universes. Although Tony Stark is dead in the timeline where Endgame left off, that doesn’t mean there isn’t the possibility of bringing him back in an alternate timeline. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is banking on this “multiverse,” suggesting that it’s “the key to the MCU’s future.”

It hasn’t been long since Downey Jr. hung up the cape so to speak, but now it seems likely he wouldn’t rule out a return to the MCU in the future. In talking to Extra about the possibility of reprising the role of Iron Man, Downey Jr. said,

One of these project collaborations is Dolittle, an upcoming film that stars Downey Jr. and is produced by Susan Downey. When asked why Dolittle was the perfect film to work on together, Downey Jr. exuberantly said “Because [Susan] said so.” Dolittle is set to hit theaters soon on Jan. 17. Still, MCU fans will always be hopeful that Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Iron Man in an upcoming movie. Though, as Downey Jr. says in the interview, Marvel’s going in a different direction with Phase 4, so it’s unclear when, or if, there will be a chance for his return.

“Yeah anything could happen, I’m really enjoying – Downey Jr.’s wife Susan Downey interjects “oh my God, what a headline that little comment is going to be.” Downey Jr. chuckles then continues the sentiment in saying, “as far as I’m concerned I’ve hung up my guns and I’m good to let it go. I also think that Marvel is on this journey now where they’re trying a bunch of other stuff. I’m excited for them to see how all of that goes. It’s hard to project but we got a lot of other stuff we want to do.”

People are going to read a lot into Downey Jr.’s comments about the possibility of returning to the MCU, but first and foremost, he and his wife seem happy to be working together on other projects and that should be respected. Also, it makes little sense for Downey Jr. to dismiss reprising the role of Iron Man outright, especially considering the fact that he made $435 million as a member of the MCU. There’s no actor more important to the MCU than Downey Jr., as he was largely responsible for its creation in 2008 with Iron Man. Ever since Feige emphasized the multiverse in the MCU going forward, many Marvel fans have supposed that characters once thought dead could always return. Certainly, that seems to be what’s happening with Vision, who was killed in Avengers: Infinity War but will return in WandaVision. However, even with Downey Jr.’s comments, any potential reprisal of Iron Man would still be far away.

More: Why Tony Stark Had Captain America’s Shield In Iron Man 1

Source: Extra/YouTube

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