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Chances are pretty good that you’ve already seen Avengers: Endgame and don’t need this spoiler warning — but, as you no doubt know, Tony Stark doesn’t make it out of Endgame alive. Since so much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been built around Stark and his armor-clad alter ego, his absence leaves a pretty big vacuum. But will it stay that way forever? Maybe…maybe not. Here’s how Iron Man just might return to the MCU, in one form or another.
One of the best things about having a hero whose powers come from a suit of armor is that almost anyone can wear it, assuming they’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind flying around with rocket-boots and shooting bad guys with repulsor rays. If that’s the case, then there’s no better candidate for the new Iron Man than Colonel Jim Rhodes, who already has plenty of experience in the suit.
That’s not what makes Rhodey the obvious choice, though. In comics, he’s been better known as War Machine for decades, but Rhodey’s first major story came when he took over the identity of Iron Man while Tony was struggling with alcoholism. His tenure as the Armored Avenger lasted for four years, and even saw him as the version of Iron Man who went off to fight in the Secret Wars event.
Rhodey has the added bonus of being a known quantity among MCU fans. Don Cheadle might’ve replaced Terrence Howard with the second movie in the Iron Man franchise, but the character has been around since the first Iron Man film. Then again, that might be a detriment. Cheadle’s the same age as Downey, and while that obviously didn’t keep him from some epic superhero action in Endgame, filmmakers might be looking for someone younger going forward.
Endgame paid off plenty of plot points and lived up to its promise of being the end of an era, but the MCU shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. So it makes sense that Endgame would also lay down a little foreshadowing of its own. Keep watching the video to see how Iron Man could return after his Endgame death!
#IronMan #ILoveYou3000 #Endgame
Rhodes less traveled | 0:24
Next generation | 1:31
Heir apparent | 2:22
Ironheart | 3:55
Teen Tony | 4:53
2020 vision | 6:10
Ghost in the machine | 7:17
Armor Wars | 8:10
Full of squirrels | 9:24