Robert Downey Jr.’s Oppenheimer Oscar Means MCU’s Iron Man Stays Dead

Summary:

• Robert Downey Jr. was the MCU ’s herald from 2008 to 2019 when his iconic Iron Man was killed in Avengers: Endgame.
• After leaving Marvel, RDJ’s career somewhat stalled, and many thought the actor would eventually return as Iron Man.
• Downey Jr.’s recent Oppenheimer Oscar proved naysayers wrong and re-established him as a strong independent star.

When you say, MCU, you think, RDJ — and vice versa. This is the way things have been since 2008 when the first Iron Man movie was released.

Robert Downey Jr. jumpstarted the biggest franchise in history with his success, and for over a decade, he remained its face, heart, and soul. That only changed in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame when Iron Man was killed; and still, fans hoped for RDJ’s return.

Today, it doesn’t seem possible anymore.

RDJ’s Oppenheimer Oscar Sealed His MCU Future

While Robert Downey Jr. pretty obviously didn’t care for returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, things haven’t exactly been going his way since Iron Man’s death. The actor’s career, flourishing throughout his MCU years, seemed to stall, and many speculated that if promised a hefty paycheck, he would reprise his iconic role.

But when Christopher Nolan ’s Oppenheimer hit the theaters, the situation changed: it became clear that, regardless of other competitors, Downey Jr. would be one of the strongest participants for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. To no one’s surprise, RDJ won it — and thus, proved himself as an independent actor.

Considering Robert Downey Jr.’s general lack of desire to return to the MCU, his recent Oscar seemingly cements the new status quo: the Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue without its former lead star, and RDJ will move on to other projects.

Iron Man’s Death Started the MCU’s Decline

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment of the decline’s start, but most agree that Avengers: Endgame was the last truly great MCU movie. Then, the notorious superhero fatigue came into play, and Marvel began dropping questionable movies and TV shows that earned less critical score combined than Endgame on its own.

Without Robert Downey Jr., the MCU is in a desperate need of a new lead star who would be as charismatic and beloved as the Iron Man actor. Fortunately, Kevin Feige has already promised a soft reboot of the MCU — but seeing how it will only come around after Avengers: Secret Wars, we wonder whether it will be too late for a save.