Many superhero flick fans were more than a little nervous when, in an interview with Empire, Downey Jr. expressed interest in possibly leaving the part after the mega-hit Iron Man 3, even going so far as to suggest recasting the (now iconic) Tony Stark.
"[Recasting] would probably be the best thing in the world for me."Such statements, tied with the fact that his contract with the studio officially ended after the May release of 'Iron Man 3' lead many fans to fear that the self-describe "King of ComiCon" would abandon the franchise.
The original 'Iron Man' was released in 2008 to stupendous box-office numbers and served not only as the first successful film that Marvel Studios released themselves, but also essentially re-launched the career of Downey Jr. after his previous struggles with addiction.
Since then, the character of Iron Man has become a household name, and has transformed into the center-piece of the massive (and massively popular) Marvel Cinematic Universe. 2012's 'The Avengers' and this year's 'Iron Man 3' haven't just been popular, they've been record-breaking box-office beasts.
Having Downey Jr. locked in for two more Avengers films can only mean good things to come, not only for Marvel Studios, but for fans of the company's interweaving film franchises.
'The Avengers 2' is set for a May, 2015 release.
What are your thoughts on Robert Downey Jr. returning to the role of Tony Stark?
