MCU Cast & Crew Members Celebrate Robert Downey Jr.’s Birthday

Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s inaugural actor Robert Downey Jr. celebrates his birthday today, and several cast and crew members have greeted him on social media. Kicking off the massive franchise in 2008 playing Tony Stark in Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, the actor had been a staple in the universe for the whole Infinity Saga. That’s until he wrapped his arc in Avengers: Endgame; still, he remains a part of the MCU.

Tony’s standalone movies may have wrapped up all the way in Phase 2, but he continued to be a primary narrative force in the franchise by appearing in several ensemble films. Aside from the Avengers film series, he also appeared in Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming; while both films centered on other characters, his arc still moved forward as he learned valuable lessons. This all led to his final stance against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, where he decided to sacrifice his life for the greater good.

Given the time he’d spent playing Iron Man in the MCU, Downey Jr. has made a lot of friends from the franchise. Being the first actor to be in the budding film series in 2008, he also functioned as a shepherd for those who came after him, and on his 56th birthday, he’s getting several birthday wishes from some of them. Check out the posts below:

While Iron Man is no longer in the franchise after he died a heroic death in Avengers: Endgame, his presence still looms large over the franchise. Both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier tackle the legacy he left behind, particularly in terms of his technological creations. This will be more explored in the upcoming Disney+ series Armor Wars starring War Machine. The project will see Rhodey fend off villains who try to acquire Stark tech to use for their own benefit. Following that is Ironheart which introduces Riri Williams, Tony’s successor in the comics.

Iron Man may no longer be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but as demonstrated, he will continue to be a key factor in its future storytelling, albeit in a more subtle way. However, out of the universe, Downey will always be a part of the franchise, the same way Chris Evans as Captain America will be. If Marvel Studios wants to bring Tony back in a creative way, Kevin Feige and his team will more than likely find a way to do it. But for now, the universe will have to move on without any direct influence from the genius billionaire Avenger.

Source: Various (see above)

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