Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is one of the greatest heroes that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever seen. After his noble sacrifice at the end of the Battle of Earth, Tony died, leaving behind a lofty legacy for the superheroes that would fight in his memory.
As the MCU presses onward into the Multiverse Saga, new and exciting characters are added to the franchise's roster with each new project. Even so, fans are continually reminded of Tony Stark, whose name comes up in many MCU films and series, including She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, reminding fans of the many new Marvel character that they'll never get to see Tony interact with.
Riri Williams
Much to fans' excitement Riri Williams is set to be introduced before the end of the MCU's Phase 4. Dominique Thorne's burgeoning superhero will make her debut in the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which will set her to take on the eponymous superhero mantle in the Disney+ original series, Ironheart.
Riri Williams is one of several heroes who will follow in the steps of Tony Stark, donning her very own suit of armor in a similar fashion to his own. As a legacy replacement for Iron Man in the MCU, Tony could have made a suitable mentor for the young Williams, who will find it necessary to fill his shoes without ever having met the Avenger.
Kamala Khan
Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan is one of the most exciting additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's fourth phase, making her debut in the recently-concluded Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. The character already has a bright future ahead of her in the franchise, set to make her next appearance in next year's The Marvels alongside Brie Larson's Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris's Photon.
While fans would have certainly enjoyed a meet-up between Kamala Khan and Tony Stark, more interesting would be a meeting between Iman Vellani and Robert Downey Jr. Vellani is a self-proclaimed superfan of Downey, which would inevitably have made for an electrifying chemistry between the two characters had they ever shared a screen.
Jennifer Walters
Jennifer Walters is the latest hero to join the ever-expanding ranks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The savage She-Hulk, portrayed by Tatiana Maslany, is currently appearing in her very own nine-episode Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, in which she will learn to master her new Hulk powers and use them to protect those in need.
Jennifer Walters is the cousin of Bruce Banner, one of Tony Stark's closest friends. While Jenn has heard plenty about Tony from her cousin, she will unfortunately never get to meet the Avenger herself. This proves to be a special shame considering Jennifer's seeming fascination with the personal lives of the original Avengers.
Xu Shang-Chi
Simu Liu's Shang-Chi is one of Phase 4's next best leaders, who made his debut last year in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. After inheriting his father's powerful ten rings, Shang-Chi is now officially a member of the Avengers, assisting as the team looks into the origin of his powerful weapons.
Shang-Chi seems destined to take on a leadership role in the Avengers moving forward, stepping into a position once held by core Avengers like Steve Rogers or Tony Stark himself. The master of martial arts could have learned plenty of lessons from Tony on this matter had the two ever crossed paths during Tony's lifetime.
Matt Murdock
After years of uncertainty regarding the character's future, Matt Murdock is finally returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Charlie Cox made a surprise appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home late last year and has since been confirmed to be featured in She-Hulk and Echo before receiving his very own Disney+ venture in the eighteen-episode Daredevil: Born Again.
There was a time when Tony Stark knew and kept tabs on each new hero emerging throughout the MCU. Because Matt Murdock was operating as Daredevil long before Tony's death in the Battle of Earth, it is certainly possible that Stark was aware of The Man Without Fear's vigilante activity, though fans continue to lament that the Avenger never recruited Murdock to the team.
Xu Wenwu
Tony Leung's Shang-Chi villain, Xu Wenwu, was the MCU's second attempt at adapting the iconic supervillain, the Mandarin, from the comics. After fumbling the ball in Iron Man 3, the studio finally did justice to one of Iron Man's greatest foes of all time, who harnessed the power of the Ten Rings in order to build his criminal empire, which lasted for centuries.
While fans were certainly pleased with the MCU's superior take on the Mandarin, they were also likely somewhat disappointed that the real rendition of the classic supervillain never went toe-to-toe with Tony Stark. With both characters now deceased in the MCU, such a battle seems impossible.
Yelena Belova
Florence Pugh made her MCU debut as Yelena Belova, the foster sister of Natasha Romanoff, in the first film of Phase 4, Black Widow. The beloved character has since been confirmed to have a major role in the future of the franchise, most likely as a member of the Thunderbolts, which are set to get their own team-up film at the end of Phase 5.
Yelena Belova possesses a common trait found among the Avengers in that she is incredibly witty and sarcastic. Known for his quips and one-liners, Tony Stark would have no doubt taken to Yelena quite quickly, making a conversation between the two quite interesting, had such an event ever occurred in the MCU.
Namor The Sub-Mariner
After months of fan speculation, Tenoch Huerta has finally been confirmed to be playing the Atlantean king Namor the Sub-Mariner in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The water-based hero is a major character in Marvel Comics and his introduction is sure to have rippling effects throughout the future of the MCU.
Tony, like most other heroes in the Marvel universe, doesn't exactly get along with Namor in the comics. However, the two manage to have some level of mutual respect between them, both serving together in the Illuminati. MCU fans can't help but wish they were able to see an Illuminati lineup that featured both of these heroes, no doubt feeling robbed that they'll never be able to hear Tony's witty quips regarding his aquatic acquaintance.
Reed Richards
The Fantastic Four are on their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, set to receive their own film that will act as the first installment of Phase 6. When Marvel's First Family finally does arrive, they are sure to be led by Reed Richards, Mister Fantastic, who was portrayed by John Krasinski in a short cameo during the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
In Marvel Comics, Tony Stark and Reed Richards were close associates who often confided in one another. The two found themselves on the same side in several conflicts and even served together on the council of the Illuminati. While the MCu's Reed will inevitably join the clandestine group
whenever the Illuminati shows up on Earth-616, the lineup, and Mister Fantastic himself, will feel somewhat incomplete without Tony.
Professor Charles Xavier
With the first mention of mutants in the MCU still leaving Marvel fans frantic, viewers know that the X-Men are on their way. While there has not been any confirmation as to which characters will appear, the introduction of Professor Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men, feels inevitable.
Comics fans know that Iron Man and Professor X had an intriguing relationship, mostly by way of their joint participation in the Illuminati. The two important characters helped shape the future of Earth together and were therefore close allies despite not always seeing eye-to-eye. As the MCU's mutant era begins to usher itself in, fans can't help but wish they had been able to see Tony interacting with the X-Men's fearless leader.