Victoria Alonso, EVP of Production at Marvel Studios, confirms Iron Man is dead and there are no plans for the character's return. Tony Stark served as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's poster boy for the entirety of Infinity Saga, with the original Iron Man movie kicking off the franchise back in 2008. Robert Downey Jr. appeared as the character in several installments over the past 11 years, leading up to Iron Man's heroic self-sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, where Tony pulled off the snap to defeat Thanos once and for all.

Of course, death is hardly permanent in the MCU, which has several examples of fake-out character deaths. With that in mind, viewers have speculated if Tony could return somehow down the line. Even Infinity War and Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo are open to the possibility, though they caution an Iron Man comeback must be earned. For now, however, it appears no such revival is in the cards.

Related: MCU Theory: Ten Rings' Phase 4 Return Is Because of Iron Man's Death

Speaking with Clarín, Alonso was asked about Iron Man's potential future in the MCU, and she remarked that the character's had a complete story that's now finished:

Tony Stark is dead. And that's our story. Resurrection I do not know , I do not know how we would do it. It seems to me that the story of Tony Stark is told. Hence, he has left his inheritance, who he is for example in Spider-Man, because Peter Parker has been a false son, so you see a lot of what Tony Stark would have been in Peter Parker. And it seems to me that you see that constantly in how one person influences the other. But no, at the moment we don't have any plans.

Iron Man snapping his fingers in Avengers: Endgame

It's understandable why people are interested in having Iron Man return. He's clearly one of the MCU's most popular characters and will always be a fan-favorite. Downey's involvement with any future Marvel project would be subject to much anticipation and hype. However, bringing Iron Man back from the dead definitely runs the risk of undoing the poignant impact of Endgame's finale, which was the emotional climax of a decade of storytelling. As Alonso alludes to, there's no clear path for an Iron Man return that makes sense. Much like Steve Rogers, Tony received a complete arc with a beginning, middle, and end. From a narrative perspective, there's no place else for his character to go without it coming across as forced.

Additionally, there's a case to be made the MCU doesn't need Iron Man anymore. Marvel has a number of lucrative sub-franchises at their disposal, including Spider-Man (the ideal place to honor Stark's legacy), Captain Marvel (which scored a $1 billion hit last year), and Thor (which has a fourth installment coming through the pipeline). The MCU is also looking to introduce a bevy of new characters in projects like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals, giving fresh faces an opportunity to shine in the spotlight. By now, the MCU has a strong track record that illustrates the franchise is much bigger than an individual character - even one who's been as prominent as Iron Man.

More: Every Marvel Phase 4 Movie & TV Show Iron Man Could Return In

Source: Clarín

Key Release Dates