Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark First MCU Sequel Was Announced In 2020 As Armor Wars, a Disney+ series characterized as a study of what the MCU would look like if Stark Technology fell into the wrong hands. This notion has piqued the interest of fans as it draws on storylines from Spider-Man: Far From Home and Wanda Vision. Additionally, Don Cheadle has been cast as the series lead, a first for Iron Man’s sidekick.
Because there had been little news regarding the show’s production in recent months, some fans speculated that it would be delayed; others feared the project would be scrapped altogether. But everything changed when Marvel surprised everyone by turning Armor Wars from a limited series on Disney+ to a full-fledged feature that would hit theaters.
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The return of Robert Downey Jr. in Armor Wars
According to the news source, the studio has shifted gears to Armor Wars as it is dedicated to “to ensure that history is conveyed in the right way.” Many fans speculated about what might be featured in Armor Wars to deserve a theatrical release, and a popular belief is that Robert Downey Jr. could reprise his role as Tony Stark in Armor Wars (and it makes sense).
Almost immediately after it was revealed that Armor Wars would be reformatted and available only on Disney+ after a theatrical release, industry insiders on Twitter have speculated that this means the Iron Man spin-off will feature the billionaire philanthropist returning to the MCU as than artificial intelligence.
I guess Robert Downey Jr is going to make a return in Iron Man… pic.twitter.com/vV5v7JbhbD
— Christian Tizya (@WatsonStPics) September 29, 2022
Note my words, Robert Downey Jr. will appear in this title as IA Tony Stark.
— Luca Brasi’s farts (@DonQuixoteFace) September 29, 2022
With ‘Armor Wars’ being a movie about Tony Stark’s technology getting into the wrong hands, I think it’s very possible that we could see Tony return as an AI pic.twitter.com/Kzedz6xgLx
— Matt Ramos (@therealsupes) September 29, 2022
Here is my theory – #ArmorWars is now a movie because Tony Stark is coming back as an AI
JUST A THEORY #Wonder #MCU pic.twitter.com/WP8OtzSx6N
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) September 29, 2022
During an interview, Robert Downey Jr. said he would reprise his role as Iron Man in future MCU movies. “Well…I’m down, for now.” Real world to save. But never say never.
There are various possibilities for Marvel Studios to bring back Robert Downey Jr. for further Iron Man adventures, especially now that the multiverse is a tool in the MCU sandbox. The most exciting method of reintroducing Tony Stark, however, is to do his artificial intelligence.
In Marvel Comics, Tony Stark builds an AI backup of himself so that when he dies he can be downloaded and continue to live in that form. Tony Stark, like his artificial intelligence programs JARVIS and FRIDAY, could have an animated version of himself uploaded to the cloud, ready to rock as soon as someone wakes him from sleep mode.
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Why is Armor Wars a feature film rather than a series?
According to the theory, “Armor Wars is now a movie because Tony Stark is coming back as an AI”, and would deserve a theatrical release due to the reappearance of actor Robert Downey Jr. This would be Downey Jr.’s first appearance in the MCU since his death in Avengers: Endgame and fans seem to agree that would be too big for Disney+.
Some fans think Marvel already showed the AI Tony Stark towards the end of Avengers: Endgame, when an Iron Man helmet projected a hologram of the hero saying his final goodbyes. He winks at his daughter Morgan after telling her he loves her, leading many to believe the blue-hued Tony pictured was more than just a pre-recorded message.
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Considering how many characters will appear in the film solely because of their connection to Tony Stark, this notion becomes even more realistic. After all, Don Cheadle’s Rhodey is the main character in Armor Warsand he was Tony’s best friend.
Armor Wars is currently in the early stages of development, with Marvel planning to begin production in 2023.
