"Iron Man 4" takes cue from the earlier pronouncement of Robert Downey Jr. who still wants to do "one more" movie as Tony Stark. However, rumor has it that Marvel is planning to reset the franchise, possibly get a recast because the franchise has already optimized its story arc and there is also a concern on the actor's high pay.

Downey, who plays Tony Stark since the very first "Iron Man," has launched the comic books-turned-movie genre. The 2008 "Iron Man" movie has paved the way for the expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with "Captain America" and "Thor" building up to the "Avengers Assemble." The rest is as they say history, with copycats following in Marvel's tail like the DC Extended Universe and even Fox's X-Men Universe.

It is not surprising then that Downey is Hollywood's most bankable star, which is justified by the actor's high pay that is rumored to be more than $50 million per movie. However, Marvel is not only concerned about the pay, but also about the story arc having covered three movies for the "Iron Man" series.

"Iron Man 3" concluded with Tony Stark coming to terms with losing all his suits as long as he knows he is still Iron Man, Looper has learned. Hence, for another Iron Man story arc, Marvel may opt for a recast or to reset the whole franchise, meaning no "Iron Man 4" movie in the works with Downey.

In the comic books, 15-year-old Riri Williams will debut as "The Invincible Iron Man," which may be another comic book story that may jump into the big screen, Variety reported. However, Downey's renewed contract with Marvel will still feature Tony Stark in the rebooted "Spider-Man: Homecoming" to be aired on July 7, 2017, the "Avengers: Infinity War" Part 1 on April 25, 2018 and Part 2 on May 3, 2019.

Marvels' Phase 4 has announced dates but the movie titles have not been disclosed. "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" is rumored to fill in one spot, but "Iron Man 4" remains unconfirmed. For fans who still wants to see Downey don the suit, watch out for the latest "Iron Man 4" news and updates on this site.

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Topics Iron man, Robert downey jr., Marvel