So far each of the Iron Man films has climaxed with some sort of big personal or professional development for Tony Stark. The first movie ended with him admitting he was Iron Man; the second with Pepper resigning as CEO of Stark Industries; the third with all the Iron Man suits being destroyed as a sign of Tony's devotion to Pepper, along with the long-awaited removal of shrapnel from his heart. Again, if they're going to carry on the series in the same fashion, then Iron Man 4's going to need a similar moment of emotional catharsis and real growth, another aspect of the franchise which sets it apart from other, lesser blockbusters where stasis in the name of the game. Honestly, unless they're going to keep repeating themselves, the only place we can see them going after the first three is by closing out Iron Man 4 with the wedding between Pepper and Tony. Or, if they'd like to continue playing with expectations, they might do something completely different: if Shane Black's on board again especially, we can see Marvel throwing us all a curve ball by substituting the schmaltzy wedding finales of Temple Of The Crystal Skull et al by opening the film with the pair returning from the church, or their honeymoon, or something. Considering the messy personal life of Tony Stark is part of what makes the character so compelling, having him deal with the added challenge of marriage would be pretty fun.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
