'Iron Man 4' news update: Robert Downey Jr. expresses interest in doing another stand-alone film for the Marvel superhero
It has been three years since fans of "Iron Man" saw him in a stand-alone film, and rumors about another installment underway have been making the rounds for quite some time now.
In an interview with ABC's Nightline, Robert Downey Jr. expressed his interest in making another solo film for the Marvel superhero. "I feel like I could do one more," the actor stated. Fans would agree that watching "Iron Man" without Downey Jr. would be different, as he had been playing the role since 2008 in a total of six films.
io9 noted that Downey Jr.'s statement is not surprising since the actor now negotiates his appearances in the Marvel Universe on a "per-picture basis," unlike the other Marvel stars who have multi-picture contracts. That is what he did in "Captain America: Civil War" and presumably in next year's "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
Even director Jon Favreau admitted that he can't imagine the franchise pushing through without Downey Jr. "I can't imagine how they could but that doesn't mean that they can't. I just can't wrap my head around that one," Favreau told IGN. "To me he's the one element that has unified all of it, and I think kept a consistent tone, and the integrity of his acting ability and his talent really works wonderfully synergistically with the Marvel universe. I think that his personality is something which helps define it. That being said, nothing would surprise me, but for me it would be a hard pill to swallow and big shoes to fill."
Since the first "Iron Man" film was released, the 51-year-old actor's stocks went up significantly. From earning $500,000 in the first installment, his earnings grew to $10,000,000 for the second installment and $50,000,000 in the third as noted by Daily Mail. Meanwhile, Telegraph reports that he will earn a staggering $200 million in the two Avengers films.
Marvel Studios has yet to announce an official premiere date for "Iron Man 4," but Tony Stark has been confirmed to return to the big screen next year in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
