Tony Stark is set to make one more appearance in the MCU according to a recent report. Fresh off of saying his farewells in Avengers: Endgame, Robert Downey Jr.’s character is apparently coming back in the Black Widow movie – though don’t expect it to be a full return.
Tucked away in a Deadline story about the weekend’s Saturn Awards is a fascinating tidbit that points towards Stark appearing in the Black Widow movie, the first Marvel Phase 4 entry in May 2020.
“Downey will be seen in the role of Stark one more time, however, in the Marvel prequel Black Widow,” reads the interlude, seemingly burying the lede that Natasha Romanoff’s solo film is adding an as-yet-unconfirmed familiar face.
However, we shouldn’t call it a comeback. Despite the timeline allowing for Stark to show up – the Black Widow movie takes place in-between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame – it’s unlikely that Downey Jr. will be waltzing in to record new footage, nor will he have a considerable role to play in the film.
The prevailing belief is that any scene involving Stark will, instead, come from a Captain America: Civil War deleted scene (H/T Comic Book) that involves Iron Man telling Natasha to go into hiding.
If this does come to pass, it follows on from Robert Downey Jr. crossing over into the aforementioned Civil War, as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming. He’s already the actor with the joint-most MCU appearances (10, tied with Samuel L. Jackson), but could become the most prolific if he does, indeed, show up for one final swansong.
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