Iron Man remains one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr.’s charismatic portrayal of the iconic character earned him a massive fan following worldwide. In 2019’s Endgame, when we witnessed the emotional sacrifice of the character, it seemed the Tony Stark character arc had seemingly come to an end. But as Marvel’s multiverse story continues to unfold, the character always can make a return. Here, we are discussing five potential ways Iron Man might come back in future Marvel projects.

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1. Tony Stark to face the Avengers Secret WarsIron Man

Marvel has the potential to bring back Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man for Avengers: Secret Wars. The franchise is expected to conclude the multiverse saga with a climactic battle against Kang the Conqueror.

Given the multiverse theme, various versions of Earth’s superheroes from different universes and realities can join the epic battle showdown, similar to superheroes assembling to battle against Thanos in the Infinity Saga. This concept opens the door for all the familiar faces, including Iron Man, to make a return, adding excitement and anticipation to fans.

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2. Iron Man returns as a Kang variant villainImmortus- Varient of Kang

One of the potential ways to bring back Iron Man is by introducing him as a variant of Kang. If Marvel Studios wants to do something different with Iron Man, they could make him or a variant of him appear as a villain under Kang’s control, similar to how Darkseid brainwashes Batman in Justice League Dark Apocalypse of DCAMU.

Such a twist happened in the comic as the variant of Kang, Immortus manipulated Iron Man. Kang the Conqueror is a multipowered time-traveling villain with high intelligence and technology. Using his mind-controlling ability or even the manipulation of time, he brainwashes Iron Man into becoming a formidable adversary of the Avengers.

3. The Avengers need Iron Man’s genius to outsmart KangKang the Conqueror

Avengers: Secret Wars is the perfect opportunity if Marvel sees bringing back Iron Man. As the epic battle against the Avengers and Conqueror Kang is yet to happen, the new Avengers are probably going to lose it as the Avengers lost Infinity War. So, Iron Man, being the most prudent and strategic member, will be the perfect rival against Kang.

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He even used his intelligence to solve the world’s greatest threats, from creating the Arc Reactor to inventing a new infinity Gauntlet to undo Thanos’s snap. Considering the power of Kang who has advanced technology and mastery of time, Stark is assumed as the only Avenger capable of matching and outsmarting him. And most importantly, we need the original Stark, and the Avengers need to grab him from the Earth-616 timeline.

4. Iron Man’s return will reignite fans’ excitementTony Stark

There is no need for speculation or calculation to explain this proposition. Since his debut in 2008, Iron Man has become the most beloved character in the franchise. And the man behind the mask, Downey Jr., garnered incredible stardom through the role.

In recent years, we have noticed that Marvel has been experiencing a serious downfall with its Phase 4 movies receiving poor receptions. Even the introduction of Kang in Quantomania doesn’t bode well for the Multiverse Saga going forward. Additionally, fan enthusiasm for the characters is found considerably low compared to those from Infinity Saga.

Bringing back Iron Man in any capacity may be a strategic move for Marvel to reignite interest and excitement among fans. Iron Man’s return in Secret Wars would be a thrilling moment equal to the excitement generated by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s return in Spider-man: No Way Home. 

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5. Iron Man’s return can resolve Multiverse chaosIron Man in Avengers Endgame

Iron Man’s role in causing the events in the multiverse, including the rise of the Kang variant, is the key aspect of the unfolding MCU storyline. When going back to 2012 in the Endgame, Stark mistakably lets a variant of Loki escape the Tesseract, which sets off the chain of events in Loki, ultimately leading to Sylvie’s actions and the emergence of multiple Kangs.

Overall, bringing back Iron Man will help to resolve multiverse chaos. In addition, it will allow the MCU to explore the moral implications of time and reality, adding complexity to the storyline.