The Marvel Cinematic Universe has created a vast and enveloped world of characters and stories that fans have come to love and admire. With 24 films that span over a decade, the MCU is a once in a lifetime film franchise that brings some of history’s greatest superheroes to life in ways no one ever expected. At the forefront of this massive endeavor, the flag bearer, is Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. embodied Tony Stark in all his narcissistic, billionaire, futurist heroism and had one hell of a ‘hero’s journey’ that culminated with his ultimate sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. But, RDJ’s performance was so well received that many fans have had a hard time accepting Stark’s death. Fan theories run abound as to how he could still be alive, or could be brought back. But, if you speak with the men behind creating his demise, his time is over, and a fourth Iron Man film is definitely not in the cards, at least not for them.
Stephen McFeely and Christopher Marcus, the screenwriters behind Endgame, spoke with Vanity Fair and were very clear on where they stood on a fourth film.
“Whether you like all of the 24 movies or not, the capital that Marvel built up allowed them to do things like make a movie starring a raccoon and a tree, right? You would’ve already had Iron Man 4 if it was any other studio. But they decided, ‘No, we’re going to take chances on all these other things.’ To put a flag in the ground and say, We’re going to end something and take characters off the table, is, I think, kind of daring, but selfishly it was really great for us. It needs an end or it loses meaning. The end is what cements the thing, to actually sew it together and bring it to a crescendo, and yeah, take people off the board, finish their arcs. If Tony made it out the other side, and Iron Man 4 was waiting there, you’d be like, [shakes head] One too many…”
The writers make a valid point. Discretion is the better part of valor, and Marvel Studios used said discretion with Iron Man. Instead of milking the cash cow dry, they focused on building a vast universe of characters and creating a solid future for the entire MCU. And it worked. So, while we may not get an Iron Man 4, we did get the best Tony Stark possible, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Did you want an Iron Man 4? Or are you happy with his story arc? Let us know in the comments below!