11 Movie Spoilers We Didn’t Know Last Week (March 21st)

2. Iron Man May Be Absent From MCU Phase Four

One question that's been on everyone's lips for some time is when will Robert Downey Jr. retire from the Iron Man role. He's locked in for the Infinity War saga, after the release of which he will be 54 years old, by which point he may be less convincing as the guy inside the awesome metal suit (even though CGI does all the heavy lifting for him). Captain America: Civil War co-director Joe Russo chimed in with his opinion on how to handle Downey's exit from the franchise, saying, "I think if and when he is done with the character, I think you will find that Iron Man might disappear for a while. I think the only way that you could reboot that character is to give a generational gap that would allow another actor to at least have a chance to redefine that character without the enormous spectre of Robert hanging over it. There are so many characters in the Marvel universe that can pick up the ball and run without it through the next phase or two before you need to see Iron Man again, frankly." Now, this may just seem like spitballing from a filmmaker, but considering that the Russos now have major creative sway in the course of the MCU and have essentially taken the mantle from Joss Whedon, it's actually incredibly likely that this is exactly what will happen. Of course, plans are always subject to change: Downey could decide he wants to stick around for a fourth Iron Man or more Phase Four movies, or perhaps Marvel will just opt for a quick recast, but the Russos' plan certainly sounds like it could be for the best.