"It’s too integral a part of my DNA"- Robert Downey Jr. reveals he may not be done with Marvel or Iron Man

Few would have expected Robert Downey Jr., who recently bagged his first Oscars at this year's festival, to return to the immense superhero franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was built with Downey leading the line with a few others, to return to the franchise. However, according to a recent interview with Esquire, there may be more left in the MCU for Robert Downey Jr. than one would imagine.

After his heroic exit in Avengers: Endgame and the subsequent tying of all knots surrounding the character, the possibility of Downey's return as the sassy Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, seemed to be a distant dream. However, the actor confirmed in a recent interview that he would "happily" return to the role of Iron Man if Marvel needed him, opening the door for many more possibilities.

The veteran actor said to Esquire when asked if he would return to the MCU given the chance:

"Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA...That role chose me. And look, I always say, ‘Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.’ It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win."

This does not necessarily mean that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the role of Tony Stark or that there will be more Iron Man films. But it does seem to open up the pace for more Iron Man appearances, at the very least.

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Why Iron Man may not return despite Robert Downey Jr.'s approval

While the veteran star who played the iconic character for years may be ready to join the MCU again, it may not be in the studio's best interest to undo one of the most excellent plotlines in the franchise.

Iron Man's exit from the franchise, in what became a riveting finale of a long-drawn saga, is still considered one of the greatest moments in the history of superhero cinema. It also aligned perfectly with Marvel's desire to move on from the superheroes who were the pillars of the original franchise.

Moving Iron Man out of the picture allowed the MCU to give up on many older heroes by completing their arcs and giving them good send-offs. So, unless the concept of multiverses and time travel is revisited in the next big films, it is unlikely that the studio would want to bring back Iron Man in the flesh.

Kevin Feige also admitted that because of the manner of exit, he did not think about bringing Iron Man back. He said to Vanity Fair in December:

"We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,...We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way."

So, Robert Downey Jr.'s green signal may not be enough to bring back Iron Man to the MCU.

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But could there still be RDJ's Iron Man?

Perhaps the primary arc of Downey's Iron Man will remain untouched, but fans can still get a glimpse at the character. Without undoing the events in Avengers: Endgame, the MCU could still bring back RDJ's Iron Man in multiple ways though nothing has been officially revealed yet.

The actor could return as a multiversal variant, almost like Loki did for his standalone series. He could also be put in flashbacks, prequel stories, or time travels.

In a superhero universe, the possibilities are endless, and it is certainly a better world where Robert Downey Jr. still has the possibility of wearing his Iron Suit once more.