Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame ahead!
Helping kick-start the MCU back in 2008 with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr arguably became the face of the Avengers and the franchise as a whole. Reprising his role as the billionaire philanthropist in his own Iron Man trilogy, the various Avengers movies, Captain America: Civil War, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, Iron Man has left a huge hole in the MCU since the events of Endgame.
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Fear not though, the latest rumours suggest Mr. Stark will be back for one last hurrah in Cate Shortland’s Black Widow. As Deadline ran through the MCU’s many wins at this year’s Saturn Awards, the site randomly dropped in the news that Robert Downey Jr. will be suiting up for Black Widow.
As a prequel of sorts, the movie will also bring back Scarlett Johansson as the titular Black Widow. Charting Natasha Romanoff’s days between being disavowed in Captain America: Civil War and her return in Avengers: Infinity War, the action will take us inside the Red Room and find out what makes the ass-kicking heroine tick.
Although it seems like a strange movie to wave RDJ off, it actually makes a lot of sense. Johansson was introduced as Romanoff in 2010’s Iron Man 2 and has been a big part of Nick Fury and Stark’s Avengers Initiative ever since.
That being said, there’s likely to be a fair bit of backlash considering Iron Man’s arguably perfect sendoff in Endgame. Plenty of people will be happy to see him back as the enigmatic hero, but there’s a sense that it could take the shine of his emotional swansong. Seriously, how can anyone top “I love you 3,000”?
However, could RDJ’s Black Widow role also be a good sign for what’s to come? Many assumed Endgame was the end of the road for the 54-year-old, but if he’s willing to return for Black Widow, who’s to say we won’t see more of Iron Man further down the line?
With Endgame seemingly opening up the endless possibilities of the multiverse — and the deceased Vision presumably returning — it looks like end is never really the end in the MCU.
[Featured Image: Disney]