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However, in September 2022, it was announced that the project was no longer being developed as a TV series, but as a feature-length film. The MCU’s Armor Wars project was first announced in 2020 and was initially planned as a TV series. Technically, there are no official plans for Iron Man 4 but there are two MCU characters who could make it happen. However, with more characters in the MCU suiting up, Iron Man 4 could still end up becoming a reality anyways. While there were never concrete plans for a 4th film installment, the idea was teased and toyed with in the years after Iron Man 3 and until Avengers: Endgame. As a result, Iron Man 4 seemed to be a no-go. Meanwhile, in real life, Downey has seemingly retired from the role. In the main MCU timeline, Iron Man is dead. While Downey ensured the future of the MCU in Avengers: Endgame, it seemed he simultaneously doomed the future of the Iron Man film series. His debut kicked off the MCU, and his death and legacy ensured its continuation. Downey’s Iron Man boasted his own successful trilogy, became one of the Avengers, sparked a civil war with Captain America (Chris Evans), mentored Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and ultimately saved the entire Marvel universe. However, Iron Man’s iconic actor, Robert Downey, Jr., would ultimately appear in a total of 10 MCU films. The 2008 film sparked two sequels, Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3. No matter how many years pass, Iron Man will always remain one of the most prominent backbones of the sprawling universe. There was no guarantee that it would pan out but Iron Man’s vast success promised a future for the MCU. The MCU released the film in 2008 and it marked the first film in Kevin Feige’s grand plan to create a whole slew of films that took place in the same universe. After all, Iron Man was the film that started it all fourteen years ago. It’s hard not to feel nostalgic when discussing Iron Man in relation to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
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