For the past year or more, we’ve been operating under the assumption that Robert Downey Jr. will be hanging up the mantle of Iron Man sooner rather than later, and that future Iron Man and Avenger films might star new characters jumping into the Iron Man suit, or that Disney and Marvel Studios might recast the role altogether. But a recent interview with RDJ gives us unexpected hope that he’s still game to play Tony Stark!
Of course, salary negotiations have long been the elephant in the room. Downey Jr.’s vague assessment of the situation (chatting with Entertainment Weekly on the Avengers: Age of Ultron set) only further supports that:
“It’s down to Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios president] and Ike [Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment] and Disney to come to us with what the proposal is, and that’s on us to agree or disagree,” Downey said. “When things are going great, there’s a lot of agreement.”
Keep agreeing! We want the chance to see Tony Stark the futurist. Downey Jr. ends on a characteristically cautious yet upbeat note, echoing what he’s said about the role in the past (“The only thing I ever let go of had claw marks in it”) while still being realistic:
Until his bosses decide he’s too rich for their blood, Downey says he’s happy to hold on to the iron mask. “It’s that thing of: Why give up the belt when it feels like you can barely get jabbed?” he says—then adds a caveat. “Most people are saying that right when they get knocked out.”
Still, his enthusiasm goes a long way. Here’s hoping Disney and Marvel will be willing to play ball, because you just know Downey isn’t giving up the role without a fight.
A really weird, awkward fight…
