Tony Stark"s MCU Replacements Make Iron Man 4 Almost Impossible

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Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has moved on from Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), it has also established and introduced a couple of replacements for the great Tony Stark, but these are making Iron Man 4 almost impossible. As the hero who kicked off the MCU, Iron Man quickly became one of the leaders of this connected universe throughout the Infinity Saga and even led the original Avengers team alongside Captain America (Chris Evans), but his time in the MCU came to an end with his sacrifice at the end of Avengers: Endgame in order to save the universe from Thanos and his armies.
Given his influence and impact on the MCU throughout its first three Phases, this universe struggled to move on from Iron Man during Phase 4, as some big characters like Spider-Man continued to be attached to him in some way or another, and it was hard not to mention him whenever the “blip” and the Battle of Earth came up. The Multiverse Saga is now busy exploring the multiverse and everything living in it, but it has also taken some time to establish and introduce characters that will serve as Iron Man replacements in the rest of the MCU, and while this will continue Tony Stark’s legacy, it’s making a fourth Iron Man almost impossible now.
Iron Man Has Several MCU Replacements, Not Just One

The original Avengers team is no longer active following the events of Avengers: Endgame, and its leaders already have their replacements, though in Iron Man’s case, it’s more than one. In Captain America’s case, old Steve Rogers passed the shield and mantle to Sam Wilson, who officially became Captain America at the end of the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sam will star in his own movie in Captain America: New World Order and he’s the only Captain America replacement in the MCU, but Iron Man already has more than one. Iron Man’s official MCU replacement is Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but there are other characters with similarities to the late Iron Man or who continue to use his technology that can also serve as his replacements.
Rhodey a.k.a. War Machine is one of the characters closest to Iron Man not only in terms of personal connection but because of the similarities between their suits and more. As Tony Stark’s best friend, Rhodey knows how Stark Industries works and its resources, and is thanks to Stark that he became War Machine, so he can also take Iron Man’s place at one point in the MCU. Another replacement is Pepper Potts, who in Avengers: Endgame was given her own armor known as Rescue, though now that Tony is gone, Pepper might not return in the rest of the MCU. Last but not least, Peter Parker using Stark Tech after Iron Man’s passing and having been his mentee for years sets him up to be his replacement as well, though one with completely different abilities and resources.
Iron Man's MCU Replacements Won't Take His Superhero Name

Unlike Sam Wilson, who is no longer Falcon and is now Captain America, Iron Man’s replacements can’t take his superhero name. Rhodey is already known as War Machine and has made a reputation for himself as such, and it wouldn’t make sense to change his name to “Iron Man”. Riri also has her own superhero name: Ironheart, and though she’s a new character, she has already made herself known as Ironheart, which is quite fitting due to her personality, mentality, and the design of her armors. Every Iron Man MCU replacement so far already has pre-existing identities, and while they have similarities with Iron Man and could take his place, they can’t drop it all to take the mantle of “Iron Man” – and the good side of this is that they have a chance to create their own superhero persona, even if they are heavily influenced by Iron Man.
The MCU Has A Movie That Could Have Been Iron Man 4 But Isn't

Iron Man was the first MCU hero to get three solo movies, which set the model for the rest of the MCU, and even though he died in Avengers: Endgame, some viewers don’t lose hope on a fourth Iron Man movie happening. The closest there is to Iron Man 4 at the time of writing is Armor Wars, with Rhodey on the lead as it will focus on him as he confronts one of Stark’s greatest fears: Stark tech falling into the wrong hands. Armor Wars is the most relevant project to Iron Man that the MCU currently has, but it’s not marketed as Iron Man 4, with the only link to the late hero being his technology falling into the enemy’s hands. Iron Man 4, then, is unlikely to happen, but at least there’s more than one character who can carry on with Tony Stark’s legacy, even if they don’t take the mantle of Iron Man.
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