With the news that we likely won’t be getting an “Iron Man 4” and increasing rumors that Robert Downey Jr. might end his run as Tony Stark and Iron Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, director Joe Russo explained that if Downey Jr. leaves the series, Iron Man might go away for a while. Iron Man experienced a huge comeback in the early aughts thanks to John Favreau bringing him in to a very successful and excellent live action film. Iron Man then became the foundation the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe was built upon, spawning the seeds for the Avengers movie, and then opening the door for a wave of Marvel superhero movies we see now.
With the potential departure of Downey Jr. and Iron Man, it would present a good opportunity to bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe in to a new era, and offer up some new dynamics and interactions between their superheroes. Many forget that once upon a time Iron Man was considered a fourth tier superhero. Before being rebooted in 2008 and transformed in to an icon, Iron Man was quite unpopular for a very long time, and even mocked by many comic book fans. The nineties saw Marvel trying to reboot the character repeatedly with no success, even bringing in a teenage Tony Stark to take over for adult Tony Stark. With Iron Man receiving his proper fame and admiration, since he is one of the early Marvel titans and one of the founding members of the Avengers, should Downey Jr. exit the series, it’d be a great chance to pass the torch on to another hero.
Here are five other Marvel characters who could and should fill Iron Man’s shoes if Iron Man is not included in future Marvel and “The Avengers” films.
5. Vision
If Marvel and Disney aren’t content with letting go of the Iron Man connection, Vision should be the leader. Vision is one of the early members of the team and could add a unique dynamic almost in the vein of Spock from “Star Trek.” Picture the hero trying to comprehend humanity as he leads a team of spectacular super humans in to battle. Meanwhile he also comes to garner affection for Scarlet Witch, feelings of love and affection he can’t quite grasp and struggles to come to terms with. For an android once meant to defeat the Avengers, it’d be interesting to see him as their leader they can’t quite trust, who is the ultimate technological and magicl being with potential to kick ass and present complex ideas about Artificial Intelligence.
4. Darkhawk
For folks that don’t want to lose the tech aspect, why not re-invent Darkhawk for a new generation? Take another underrated Marvel character and reboot him as a sleek and exciting hero that’s a mix of magic and technology. Darkhawk is one of my favorite underdogs of the Marvel Universe, a mixture of Iron Man and Falcon with a hint of Guyver, and while the original comic involves the hero trading minds with an android double, I think it’d be cooler if Darkhawk was a product of one of Tony Stark’s side projects, who would adopt one of his suits and AI and eventually become Darkhawk, a man who also is tasked with helping to lead the Avengers. Why not? Marvel and DC have been re-inventing characters for years, I think it would work beautifully.
3. Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel
Or hey how about bringing the whole team in to an entirel new era by introducing their first female leader Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel. She can help them see the more galactic elements of the Marvel Universe, while acting as a rough and tumble team leader in the process. Marvel has been looking for a platform to introduce Carol Danvers, so why not set her center stage while Iron Man is put on the back burner for a few years or so? She can bring a new flavor in to the team, and help add the wider scope of more alien menaces that the Avengers are more known for combatting. Danvers can add a lot to the dynamic of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’d be a new frontier for the film series.
2. Ant Man and Wasp
If fans and Marvel aren’t quite ready to let go of the Tech element of the Avengers, who better to take over the Avengers than the Pym family? Scott Lang can step up as leader while Hope Van Dyne (Lang) can snap in to action as The Wasp alongside the team. They can improve the technology with Hank Pym and help guide the team in to a brand new era where Hank Pym can finally be integrated in to the Avengers franchise without the shadow of the nasty domestic abuse thing looming over head. If Marvel works hard enough we can see Ant Man and his team lead the Avengers against some vicious intergalactic foes in future films.
1.Black Panther
Despite being introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe eight years after its creation, Black Panther is a very important and remarkable character in the Marvel Universe. Without him, Captain America wouldn’t have his shield, and Iron Man wouldn’t have his current armor. In the early days of the Avengers comics when Captain America needed someone to pass the torch to, Black Panther stepped up to lead the team against Earth’s greatest foes. So why not pay tribute to classic Marvel by emphasizing how important and crucial Black Panther is and give him the co-leader role of the Avengers? Black Panther doesn’t just look cool, and is not just a cool character, but he’s also clever, agile, powerful, slick, noble, dignified, and a very important part of the legacy of the Avengers. Handing Black Panther the reins to the team wouldn’t just be an immense display of diversity, but also paying proper homage to Marvel by embracing one of their most iconic characters.