Recently, Robert Downey Jr. reiterated that Iron Man's story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is done and he's totally right. Playing the franchise's inaugural hero, the actor debuted as Tony Stark in 2008 via Jon Favreau's Iron Man, and immediately captivated viewers around the world. The success of Marvel Studios' first self-produced film became the foundation for the thriving MCU which has now earned more than $22 billion at the global box office. For Downey, however, it marked his successful Hollywood comeback after being plagued with personal issues in the past.
After Iron Man, Tony Stark appeared in 10 more Spider-Man: Homecoming, as well as, the four massively successful Avengers films. For the longest time, the genius billionaire has been the poster boy of the MCU, so when Marvel Studios capped his arc in Avengers: Endgame, it came as a shock to many, primarily because it's difficult to imagine the MCU without Iron Man. In hindsight, however, it all made sense, especially considering how Tony's story was wrapped up.
Marvel Studios did a great job developing Tony's story throughout the Infinity Saga. At the beginning of the MCU, he was a self-serving industrialist who couldn't be bothered by anything else that doesn't directly impact him. In how Iron Man didn't have to die or that he didn't deserve to. Regardless, one thing is clear: Marvel Studios made sure to tie all loose plot points with regard to Iron Man's journey, which is why Downey is adamant that the character's time in the MCU is totally done.
The plan to end Tony Stark's MCU run in Avengers: Endgame had been decided as early as 2015, which means that from there, Marvel Studios had carefully plotted the character's arc to set up his eventual demise in the final fight against Thanos. Everything from coming to with the death of his parents to learning how to effectively be a father through Spider-Man was all part of wrapping up his 11-year journey in the franchise. This is the reason why by Avengers: Infinity War and its sequel, the hero was easily set on a trajectory that justified his decision to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
Avengers: Endgame, in particular, was chockfull of storylines devoted to capping off Iron Man's story. First, he got the well-deserved family life he'd always yearned for with the five years with Pepper and Morgan; he was given the chance to settle his longstanding grievances with his father, Howard Stark through the time heist; and he's able to successfully bring back Peter Parker after he was snapped out of existence in Infinity War. Of course, the preferences would've been for him to survive and reunite with his family after the Infinity Saga, but from the very first Iron Man, Tony knew that he was on borrowed time; he was given a second chance at life thanks to Ho Yinsen for a reason, and he decided that ensuring a universe free from Thanos' threat was his purpose.
Iron Man's story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe undoubtedly ended on a sad note, but that doesn't mean it's bad; it made sense in the grand scheme of things. And since all aspects of his story were already properly addressed, there's really no justified reason to bring him back, By potentially doing this, Marvel Studios risks cheapening what's an otherwise brilliant send off to the franchise's most important hero.
