Iron Man 4: The Marvel Fan Trailer With Robert Downey Jr. & Katherine Langford Explained
After having helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008's "Iron Man," Robery Downey Jr.'s arc as Tony Stark was pretty definitively wrapped up by the end of "Avengers: Endgame." But some fans aren't quite ready to let go of Iron Man as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. In fact, one fan, who goes by the username Cinematic Pro Studio on YouTube, has not only conceived of a plot that could bring Downey back to the MCU, but they've also created an impressive mock trailer for a fourth "Iron Man" movie.
The trailer for "Iron Man: Resurgence," which has raked in more than 1.4 million views in just a month, picks up after Tony's death and follows his daughter, Morgan Stark, played by Katherine Langford. While the scenes were ultimately cut from the film, Langford was originally supposed to play an older version of Morgan in "Avengers: Endgame." Through a mix of clever editing, recycled footage from previous movies, and AI technology, the trailer shows Morgan recruiting Tom Holland's Peter Parker to raise her father from the dead to face a mysterious foe.
"Morgan Stark, haunted by memories, uncovers a looming threat, compelling her to resurrect Iron Man," the plot description reads. "In a morally ambiguous quest, Morgan, aided by Peter Parker, delves into cutting-edge technology, navigating ethical dilemmas to collect Tony's DNA."
While the trailer is impressive, fans still probably shouldn't get their hopes up for Downey's return.
Robert Downey Jr. probably isn't coming back
According to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr. will never return as Iron Man. Speaking to Vanity Fair about Tony Stark's death, Feige said, "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." Feige was echoing comments made by Downey in 2020 when he told the Hindustan Times, "I've done all I could with that character and can do other things now."
Of course, in the world of comic book movies, anything is possible and studios aren't always terribly forthcoming about what's happening behind the scenes. The Marvel multiverse is already well established, and "Deadpool 3" will officially introduce time travel to the franchise. So if plans change, the tools are already there to bring Tony back from the dead.
Considering the struggles Marvel movies have faced recently, both critically and commercially, going back to the character that kicked everything off could reinvigorate fan interest. With audiences suffering from superhero fatigue, Downey's return could serve as a reminder of when comic book movies were less exhausting.