'Iron Man 4' release date, update, news: RDJ chooses 'Sherlock Holmes 3' over next 'Iron Man' film?

Marvel has a lot of films in line for the next year or so, but there is no word about the film that started them all, "Iron Man." It's been years since the studio launched the latest "Iron Man" movie, but fans aren't too worried about the film series ending. Fans are more concerned about Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role as the billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark aka Iron Man.

Though neither the studio nor the actor has confirmed the latest rumors, reports are implying that RDJ will be saying no to upcoming Marvel films to portray his role in "Sherlock Holmes 3." Rumor has it that the actor has chosen Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric detective over Marvel's brilliant superhero.

According to reports, there's a chance that Downey will no longer return to play the superhero role due to other commitments. It's said that the actor will be back in "Sherlock Holmes 3" and this led to speculations that Downey chose to do the private detective film over the next robot superhero installment.

Variety reported that Team Downey, along with Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow, selected a bunch of writers to pen the plot and script for the next installment of "Sherlock Holmes." The pool of writers selected by the aforementioned groups include "Guardians of the Galaxy" writer Nicole Perlman, "Baywatch" writer Justin Malen, "Rogue One" writer Gary Whitta, "Tomb Raider" writer Geneva Robertson-Dworet and "Snowden" screenwriter Kieran Fitzgerald.

RDJ will still be part of the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity War," which will begin filming in February. Since the actor has to commit to his role in Marvel's Cinematic Universe, RDJ will reportedly commence the production for "Sherlock Holmes 3" once they wrap up the upcoming "Avengers" film.

Reports note that an "Iron Man" film is currently not part of Marvel's Phase 3 movie lineup. Since the studio has yet to announce their plans for the franchise, fans should wait for official announcements before jumping into conclusions.