The MCU secretly defined why Robert Downey Jr. is enjoying Physician Doom as a substitute of returning as Iron Man again all the way in which again in 2021. Whereas the lifetime of the principle universe’s model of Iron Man was lower brief by his sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, the introduction of the multiverse into the MCU timeline has meant that followers have mentioned the potential of an Iron Man variant showing within the franchise for years.
Although loads of theories have emerged about how the franchise might deliver Iron Man again into the fray since Tony Stark’s Endgame dying, the idea of Robert Downey Jr. returning as Iron Man seems to have been as a substitute changed with Downey Jr. being forged as Physician Doom, the first antagonist of Avengers: Doomsday. Because it stands, it appears that is a minimum of partly due to the methods by which the MCU has developed since Iron Man’s final look.
WandaVision Started An Iron Man Change That Would Make A Return Far Extra Advanced
WandaVision marked a posh level within the MCU timeline not simply because it handled the fallout of Avengers: Endgame as one of many MCU’s first reveals – whereas being launched throughout a world pandemic, no much less – but in addition as a result of it confirmed the way in which the franchise was navigating the creating panorama of the superhero style.
A part of this got here from the collection partaking with the previous of Tony Stark and Stark Industries again when the corporate was nonetheless a weapons producer. Although Iron Man itself was about Tony realizing he wished to assist and never damage along with his analysis, WandaVision delves far more straight into the hurt Stark Industries precipitated harmless civilians, with Wanda’s dad and mom being killed by way of a Stark mortar shell, and the twins themselves being trapped subsequent to different shells till their rescue two days later.
Whereas this is not the one post-Endgame second that shone a extra advanced gentle on Iron Man’s legacy and Tony Stark’s arc, it does mark the purpose at which bringing Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man again – even when in variant type – would have been extra sophisticated, since it will have needed to navigate the layers added to Tony’s story and legacy posthumously.
The MCU’s Iron Man Story Explains Why Chris Evans Is Returning As Steve Rogers As an alternative
Naturally, Steve Rogers’ return in Avengers: Doomsday is one that’s extra instantly simple within the sense that Rogers survived Avengers: Endgame, which means the fifth Avengers movie can both deliver again the principle universe’s iteration of the character, or herald a variant with out undermining a dramatic dying of sacrifice that got here earlier than.
Nevertheless, this additionally is smart from the angle that bringing an Iron Man variant again could be sophisticated on a number of ranges, particularly because the MCU has tweaked and adjusted elements of the character’s overarching story in a approach that will divide followers extra on what Tony’s superb return could be.
Certainly, this seems to be a minimum of a part of the rationale that Iron Man is successfully lacking apart from his Ultron-esque drones in Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity‘ alternate universe regardless of the character current there, and a part of why the choice was made to as a substitute forged Robert Downey Jr. as Physician Doom within the MCU‘s subsequent chapters – although how the franchise will deal with this may probably solely change into clear with the discharge of Avengers: Doomsday.