Now we’ve all seen IRON MAN 3 it’s time to start thinking about the future. Anyone not living under a rock will know that the future of Marvel is in good hands with sequels to THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA appearing this and next year respectively, with a brand new franchise kicking off in the form of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. But what about the one that started it all? It’s generally assumed that Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark in THE AVENGERS 2, but what about later films?
After the worldwide success of IRON MAN 3, Marvel will be very anxious about keeping their number one star, and it is said that on 6th May, Downey Jr. hosted a dinner along with his wife and producing partner Susan Downey, which included guests such as Marvel Studio chief Kevin Feige, Disney Studios head Alan Horn, and IRON MAN 3 director Shane Black. The official role of the dinner was to celebrate the success of IRON MAN 3, but it is being reported that it was also the start of Downey Jr. renegotiating his contract.
So far, the contract negotiations only include THE AVENGERS 2 & 3, with no word on an IRON MAN 4. It’s not surprising that Downey Jr. may be wary of a fourth outing as the metallic armoured hero, considering he is pushing 50 and probably wants to take on more roles away from the Marvel universe. Marvel will probably be just as apprehensive, considering Downey Jr. netted $50 million for THE AVENGERS, which was a lot higher than any of his cast mates.
I’d say the Marvel universe is now bigger than any one actor, and even though I preferred both Terence Howard and Edward Norton in their roles as Rhodey and Bruce Banner, their recasting didn’t even come close to killing the series. I understand Downey Jr. is much more pivotal to his character, and the IRON MAN films have dwarfed the likes of THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and THE INCREDIBLE HULK, but Marvel need to do what’s best for future storylines.
Source: THR
