Robert Downey Jr.'s time as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe came to an end in Avengers: Endgame, so could anyone take on the mantle in the future? Downey was far from the first choice of Marvel Studios to play Tony Stark back when casting for Iron Man was happening, but it's now impossible to imagine anyone else playing the role. The success of the first solo film launched Downey and a "B-list" character in Iron Man to becoming the face of what would eventually become the biggest franchise of all time.

After eleven years of playing Iron Man though, Downey appears to have finally put the role behind him. Tony sacrificed his own life at the end of Avengers: Endgame to save the universe, leaving his newly formed family and rekindled friendships behind. The MCU wouldn't be where it is without Downey and Iron Man, which is why he's the last cast member to be shown in the credits, and a familiar sound rang out after the credits rolled on Avengers: Endgame.

Related: Predicting Iron Man's Future In The MCU After Avengers: Endgame

There's no clear future for Iron Man in the MCU - and Marvel isn't even developing Iron Man 4 right now - but there is always the possibility that someone else could take on the mantle in the future. Screen Rant's latest video takes a look at the possible candidates to take over the role of Iron Man (should Marvel choose to do so), and we go through basically every option - even Happy Hogan. With characters like Harley Keener, Pepper Potts, and War Machine already introduced, and someone like Riri Williams waiting in the wings to debut, check out the full list of possible Iron Man replacements in the video at the top of this post.

Harley Keener in Iron Man 3

All of these options would literally see another character put on an Iron Man suit and a similar style name. Harley Keener could become Iron Lad, while Riri Williams could debut as Ironheart. Pepper Potts meanwhile could continue using her Rescue armor, or help show her and Tony's daughter Morgan Stark how to use a suit of her own once she's older. It may be unlikely, but there's also the possibility that Downey could find a way to return to the role in the future, by becoming an A.I. himself or through the use of alternate dimensions.

If Marvel wants to replace Iron Man in a less literal sense though, the answer to this void could be Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. The trailers for Spider-Man: Far From Home have shown he's being asked to step up and be a bigger hero now that Iron Man is gone, and Peter's scientific abilities could be used to help replace that functionality with the Avengers. And in the real world, the popularity of Tom Holland's version of Spider-Man could make him the new face of the MCU, especially since he wants to do 20 more movies. That all said, the chances of someone replacing Iron Man - either literally or figuratively - do not appear to be very high right now.

MORE: Marvel Positioned Iron Man As A Villain  - But He's The Biggest Hero

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