Robert Downey Jr. has been rumored to make his MCU return since Tony Stark’s Endgame sacrifice, but Iron Man’s reappearance could come with a twist.
One cut character from Avengers: Endgame could return to the MCU instead of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. Rumors of RDJ’s return to the MCU have been circulating since Tony Stark’s sacrifice at the end of Avengers: Endgame, with the Multiverse Saga perhaps providing the perfect opportunity for him to come back as a variant of the MCU’s main Iron Man. Now that Marvel Studios has kicked off Phase 5 of their shared universe, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are in sight, with the latter speculated to include many returning superheroes from other franchises and the MCU’s history.
In the lead-up to Phase 4’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, many expected a variant of Tony Stark to appear as a member of Earth-838’s Illuminati, but even though several iconic heroes were present, Stark’s Multiversal Iron Man was missing from the line-up. However, this has stemmed inspired speculation that Earth-838’s version of Iron Man could make his way to the 616 Universe seeking revenge on Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch for the devastation they caused in his reality. While this is a possible storyline that could see the return of Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man’s MCU comeback could come with an unexpected twist.
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Morgan Stark Could Be Earth-838’s Iron Man
Instead of Robert Downey Jr. returning as a variant of Tony Stark in future MCU projects, the role of Iron Man could instead be filled by his daughter, Morgan Stark. Lexi Rabe debuted as Morgan Stark during Avengers: Endgame, though a cut scene set in the Soul Realm would have seen Tony being met by an adult version of Morgan Stark, portrayed by Katherine Langford. Despite being the daughter of one of the MCU’s most legendary heroes, there was no mention of Morgan Stark during the MCU’s Phase 4, though Endgame surely won’t be the end of her story.
An adult Morgan could be revealed to be the mastermind of Earth-838 instead of her father, so instead of Tony Stark’s return to seek vengeance on Earth-616’s heroes, Morgan’s Iron Man could be the perfect replacement. There was no mention of Iron Man on Earth-838 during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but since Ultron is functioning as intended in that reality, it’s likely that a version of Stark does exist there. Swapping Tony for Morgan would be the best way to subvert audience expectations while still delivering on viewers’ Iron Man hopes for the MCU’s future.
RDJ Had The Perfect MCU Farewell (So He Shouldn’t Return)
Even though it would be fantastic to see Robert Downey Jr. gracing the MCU once again as Tony Stark, his return would run the risk of muddying his legacy in the franchise, especially since his send-off in Avengers: Endgame was such a powerful moment. The Infinity Saga finalized the story of the original six Avengers perfectly, with Black Widow sacrificing herself for the Soul Stone, Captain America retiring with Peggy Carter, and the Hulk, Hawkeye, and Thor all seeing massive changes. Iron Man snapping his fingers to eliminate Thanos and his army is a moment that will go down in cinema history, so this should be respected properly.
The debut of a variant of Tony Stark could side-step this issue, as it wouldn’t be the main continuity’s Iron Man that has been brought back from the dead. However, RDJ is so synonymous with the MCU’s Iron Man that it would be a shame for him to portray a completely different version of the character. This onus can instead fall on a different actor, particularly after Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home proved that not all variants look the same and not all realities follow the same storylines. This makes Morgan the perfect replacement for Tony Stark, keeping it in the family but with a twist.
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Avengers: Endgame Wasted Pepper Potts’ Rescue
Not only did Avengers: Endgame introduce Tony Stark’s daughter to the MCU, but it also featured the superhero debut of Pepper Potts as Rescue, who aided in the final epic battle against Thanos. It was great to see Pepper finally suit up as Rescue, but the third act of Endgame was so jam-packed with heroes that she sort of got lost in the mix, and her grand entrance was overshadowed completely, especially after Endgame’s disappointing A-Force tease. Bringing back Morgan Stark as Earth-838’s Iron Man could be the best way to resolve this wasted Rescue storyline from Endgame in a way that honors both of the character’s parents.
Morgan Stark suiting up as a Multiversal version of Iron Man in the MCU’s future would showcase a female Iron Man for more than just a few moments. Dominique Thorne’s introduction as Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has started the MCU on this journey, but her actual connection to Tony Stark is still a mystery. Morgan Stark’s return would be able to clear up a lot of loose ends from Avengers: Endgame while still providing a dramatic enough story to push the MCU forward, particularly if the Multiversal hero is chasing down the MCU’s Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch.
Morgan Stark Can Be Stark’s MCU Legacy Hero (Not Ironheart)
After her introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart is being set up to be Iron Man’s legacy hero in the MCU, a theme that became much more prominent during Phase 4. However, while Williams does apparently have access to Stark technology and has developed a suit very similar to the Iron Man armor, it doesn’t entirely make sense for her to continue Tony Stark’s legacy. It’s currently unknown whether Williams and Stark actually knew each other before Tony’s Endgame death, though this could be uncovered during Ironheart on Disney+, and since Stark had a penchant for mentoring young heroes, this isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
It would make much more sense to have Morgan Stark return to the MCU and take over her own father’s legacy, while Ironheart could still operate as a separate hero. There are huge questions surrounding Morgan Stark’s future in the MCU after her brief introduction in Avengers: Endgame, so it would be great to see the character get more development in future projects, whether that be the 616-universe’s Morgan or her Earth-838 variant. In this way, Robert Downey Jr.’s story as Iron Man can continue without tarnishing his perfect farewell in the MCU’s Infinity Saga.
