Doctor Strange 2’s Trailer Just Hinted Iron Man Return Rumors Are True

The new Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer subtly hinted that the rumors that Iron Man is coming back are real. Robert Downey Jr. has retired his MCU role in Joe and Anthony Russo’s Avengers: Endgame. Despite the clamor from fans, there hasn’t been any indication that Tony Stark is returning to the time soon — until now.

As its inaugural hero, Marvel Studios had to be very careful with how they capped off Iron Man’s arc. Fortunately, despite the pressure, the Russos were able to find a way to do just that, albeit tragically. Just when Stark finally found peace living with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and their daughter, Morgan (Lexi Rabe), he had to sacrifice himself to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin). As sad as the end of his story was, there’s also poetic justice to it considering that he started as a self-centered industrialist. While the idea of him coming back has never been out of the question, Iron Man may be back in the MCU sooner than initially perceived.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ first trailer has been officially released, offering fans their first proper look at the highly-anticipated blockbuster. The clip was so dense as it leaned on the madness of its story; the revelation that Patrick Stewart is back as Professor X was also a scene-stealer. But amidst the chaos, Marvel Studios may have used the clip to subtly hint that the rumors about Iron Man returning are real. At one point in the video, Doctor Strange is escorted by a string of drones to be presented to what could well be the MCU’s version of the Illuminati. The existence of these robots implies Stark’s involvement; they even look like Superior Iron Man Ultron bots from the comics. It’s possible that he’s a member of the powerful council that is holding Doctor Strange accountable potentially for his involvement in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

For context, Iron Man was part of the original Illuminati roster in the comics. He’s joined by Black Bolt, Namor, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, and Professor X. The final two are already confirmed to be part of the aforementioned meeting in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Namor is rumored to be introduced in the MCU via Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the same thing with Mr. Fantastic, with speculations that John Krasinki will play Fantastic Four’s leader. Meanwhile, Marvel Studios can easily find a way to bring in the Inhumans’ leader. Taking these into consideration, there’s a high chance that Tony Stark is indeed also set to appear in the sequel. That being said, fans shouldn’t expect Downey to reprise the role as his return is apparently a non-starter in the MCU. Instead, Marvel Studios could be setting up a variant — one that’s played by Tom Cruise.

Considering how variants and the multiverse work in the franchise, the MCU can easily introduce these different versions of its characters with very little effect to the Sacred Timeline. So, debuting an Iron Man variant in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may not really have that big of an impact on its continuity moving forward. Instead, Marvel Studios could just use him for the narrative they’re currently telling.

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