Avengers: Endgame has ended with the most satisfying, yet heart-wrenching of conclusions, but the ballad of the Iron Man doesn’t end here.
With Tony Stark’s funeral, one question remains in the minds of Marvel fans. Who will replace Robert Downey Jr. as the next new Iron Man actor after Endgame? Downey Jr. has been tied to the role since he first donned his metal suit of armour back in 2008. His acting and persona as genius billionaire, playboy, philanthropist has arguably has been the biggest hit with fans.
With Tony Stark’s funeral, one question remains in the minds of Marvel fans. Who will replace Robert Downey Jr. as the next Iron Man?
Stark resonates with millions of fans and Downey Jr. made a moderately successful comic superhero into a massive movie character. Moreover, much of Marvel’s success comes from the Iron Man series and Downey Jr. played character’s central placement in the Avengers movies.
So, who replaces Robert Downey Jr.?
While Tony Stark and Iron Man may seem innately fused, a comparable replacement seems inexistent. Which is the very reason that the character of Tony Stark will not be replaced with a different actor? Rather, it would be an entirely new character who will wear the iron suit.
It is presumed that the next Iron Man may have some similar attributes to Tony Stark, like ingenuity, compassion, and undying hero fervour.
It might be a lesser flamboyant character without the billionaire status and swanky infrastructure. But, the next Iron Man would be a younger character, from a different comic book narrative. Be patient and read further to find out.
We anxiously await the next major Marvel team-up, but it is likely that a major mashup will only come some years down the land after a few standalone movies solidify the new characters. As far as we know till now, Marvel is rumoured to have plans on the table to make a film. But there can’t be a confirmation owing to Marvel’s well-known secrecy. Above all those possibly involved are keeping a tight lid on things to avoid exposing any of Marvel’s future endeavours.
Can fans be convinced with a new face underneath the iron suit?
Convincing the fans to accept a new Tony would be a difficult venture. However, convincing the public to accept a new Iron Man, who has nothing to do with Tony and merely wears the same suit would likely be a bit easier.
Based on the comics it’s easy to make a few strong assumptions. However, in the comics, there is a character named Nathaniel Richards aka Iron Lad. Richards has seen many different incarnations over the years, but has a similar look and retains similar abilities to that of Tony Stark’s Iron Man. His armor is synthetic alloy from the 40th century, and he can fire concussive blasts, travel through time, and more.
As per comic books, it could be Nathaniel Richards aka Iron Lad or Riri Williams aka Iron Heart.
There is another character named Iron Heart, also known as Riri Williams is a teenage M.I.T dropout who creates a super-suit by reverse engineering technology from an outdated Iron Man model. In the comics, the character comes to assist Tony Stark in the second Civil War.
Another Iron Man in the comics called “Teen Tony” appears from an alternate timeline to save the day from an adult Stark who has been brainwashed and turned evil. This comic book plot was not too successful, but it does exist, so it’s worth mentioning. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not known for following the comic books closely.
We have a sure-shot guess – Meet Ty Simpkins
After seeing all the parts of the Iron Man and Avengers and carefully correlating things like Iron Man 3 developments around Stark and the peculiar emergence of similar characters in Endgame, we have a ready guess who will be the new Iron Man actor after Endgame.
To an extent of surety, Ty Simpkins who played Harley Keener in ‘Iron Man 3’ will be the next Iron Man. Ty Simpkins plays the tech-savvy boy, who comes to Tony Stark’s aid while he is stranded in Tennessee in Iron Man 3. Harvey Keener did not have a major role in the film. However, Iron Man does set him up with the latest and greatest technology before leaving him behind.
Fact: Ty Simpkins is also listed as a cast member in Avengers: Endgame on the IMDb page, which seems suspicious for a character who has not been in any other Avenger-themed films.
If you remember the funeral scene from Avengers: Endgame, you will remember that the actor responsible for portraying Harley in Iron Man 3 was present. His placement in the scene was clearly intended to draw attention to him.
This has led us to speculate that he will take the mantle moving forward. Also, Ty Simpkins is also 17, which places him at just the right age for the role and we find this evidence enough to vouch for him as the protagonist in the next iron-clad adventure.
