The best story that Marvel could have given the MCU’s Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) for Avengers: Endgame.
Iron Man is dead, but his legacy is living on in Phase 4 through two Disney+ shows. Iron Man’s closest ally, War Machine. The show is presumably based on the 1980s Marvel Comics event of the same name. The story involved Tony Stark hunting down villains who were in possession of his stolen armor designs.
Since Armor Wars is an old favorite among Iron Man fans, War Machine’s show is sure to be a welcome addition to the MCU, with perhaps the most disappointing element to the series being that it’s happening without the comic’s main character. In fact, Armor Wars would have worked well as the plot of Iron Man 4 if Marvel had decided to make it. It would have been a perfect fit for the MCU, especially if it was released between Avengers: Infinity War.
In Captain America failed to arrest Iron Man, Stark still faced serious consequences for his actions, beginning with the termination of his hip with the Avengers.
It would have been interesting to see Iron Man 4 bring these aspects of the comic story to the big screen, especially when considering the fun parallels it would have had to Civil War. In many ways, it could have been an Iron Man-focused, Civil War follow-up with Steve Rogers and Tony Stark being at odds once again, but this time for different reasons. In this instance, Iron Man would be the character on the wrong side of the law. By adapting Armor Wars, Iron Man 4 would have seen Stark do whatever it took to keep his armor out of the wrong hands, even if it meant risking his relationships with his fellow superheroes. It could also have provided audiences with an exciting Captain America vs. Iron Man rematch, but sadly that’s no longer on the table.
