'Iron Man 4' may or may not feature the return of Robert Downey Jr. in the title role. Despite hinting of a possible fourth film in the works, he remained mum on his return in the series. Meanwhile, a deleted scene from 'Ant-Man' may hold a potential plot clue for the planned film.
According to the Inquisitr, Robert Downey Jr. announced the possibility of a future film on the Iron Man franchise but didn't confirm his reprisal as the titular character just yet. He appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show only recently and hinted that a fourth installment may be in the works but continued to stay mum on details.
It was previously speculated by Movie News Guide that a younger actor may take over Downey Jr.'s famous Marvel character in later films. Ty Simpkins of 'Iron Man 3', 'Jurassic World' and 'Insidious: Chapter 2' had his name dropped on several occasions. His performance on 'Iron Man 3' as Tony Stark's young sidekick Harley Keener earned him generous praise from critics and fans alike.
However, many fans of the superhero franchise aren't quite sold to the idea of Downey Jr.'s possible exit from the cinematic series. Downey Jr.'s paycheck from many of the Marvel's live-action adaptations landed him a spot as Forbes' highest earning Hollywood leading man for 2015. He reportedly earns $80 million for his appearances on 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron' and 'Captain America: Civil War' and brought in over $100 million for the 'Iron Man' films.
It is highly unlikely that Marvel will proceed to replace their cash cow or that Downey Jr. himself will give up such huge sums that make him one of Hollywood's most highly sought-after actors. The original 'Iron Man' film raked in a whopping $585 million alone during its run in the box office back in 2008.
Meanwhile, a deleted scene from the 'Ant-Man' movie starring Paul Rudd may have been crucial to Iron Man's story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Cinema Blend posted the deleted segment from an 'Ant-Man' Blu-ray/DVD exclusive that featured a commentary from director Peyton Reed and Rudd.
In the cut segment, Darren Cross was demonstrating shrinking technology to potential buyers when he commented on one of his buyers' Ten Rings neck tattoos. The Ten Rings group happens to be the same terrorist organization responsible for the abduction of Tony Stark in 'Iron Man 3'. Their leader, he mysterious Mandarin, may return in 'Iron Man 4' as one of the main villains.
'Iron Man 4' is a planned action-adventure superhero film based on the Marvel's comic book superhero of the same name. It is intended as a sequel to 2013's 'Iron Man 3' and will be part of the MCU. It remains unknown whether previous cast members will be returning to reprise their respective roles in the follow-up.
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