Marvel’s upcoming slate of movies is only getting bigger as Armor Wars has been shifted from a Disney Plus series to a full length feature film.
The big change has many wondering why this was done by Marvel, and if it was due to greater ramifications in the films’ story, or potential high profile additions to it cast. So far only Don Cheadle as James Rhodes and Walton Goggin as Sonny Burch (last seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp) have been confirmed for Armor Wars.
There’s one big character, however, that many are wondering will make an appearance in Armor Wars, and it’s none other than Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark.
Will Robert Downey Jr. appear in Armor Wars?
After Tony Stark sacrificed himself to save the world during Avengers: Endgame, his legacy went down on Earth-616 as its greatest hero. His death had huge ramifications for Peter Parker / Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and the Avengers in general. Stark has yet to appear again outside of non-canonical show What If…?, and it’s a big point of debate if he should ever return.
Given Armor Wars is to be based off the comic run of the same name that tackled Stark’s tech falling into the wrong hands (something which seems to have happened in every Iron Man movie to date), it feels like the best chance yet for Stark to return. A particular school of thought is Downey may appear in the film in the form of artificial intelligence or in a flashback.
Given the astronomical fees Downey asked for to appear in Captain America: Civil War (believed to be around $64 million appearance fee plus add-ons), it would be a massive strain on the budget of the film more likely a very small appearance. Downey had also been paid roughly $1 million per minute of screen-time for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Financially, it doesn’t feel like Marvel will want him to return to the role. As it stands, it feels highly unlikely for Downey to return for Armor Wars.
Should he return?
Having Iron Man return feels like a very big risk, and would also make the sacrifice and loss of the character far less impactful, even if it’s as an artificial intelligence. Given Stark’s big mistake with A.I. when he created Ultron, it also feels like it would betray the character’s arc.
Another point of contention is Armor Wars is meant to be a solo film for Cheadle, and a chance for audiences to truly understand what makes the character of James Rhodes so interesting. Having him one-upped by the return of the Iron Man just doesn’t feel like the right way to go about it.
Cheadle will be one of very few Black actors to headline a Marvel film or series, with the only previous times being during Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, as well as the upcoming Captain America: New World Order. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as upcoming series Secret Invasion and Ironheart, have starred Black actors in leading roles, but arguably never giving them the full spotlight in regards to Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Armor Wars does not currently have a concrete release date, but is scheduled for sometime in 2024.