October 17, 2023 might seem like a random date, but to die hard Marvel fans, it’s a day of great sadness. For those of you who properly paid attention to the time skip in Avengers: Endgame, the events that happen 5 years into the future are actually occurring in 2023, since we can assume the events of Avengers: Infinity War happened in 2018, and Endgame picks right up after that.
That means the center of the MCU, the leader of the Avengers, Tony Stark, dies in 2023. While we can dive into the fan theories that point out exactly how we know Tony dies on October 17 of that year, all that matters is today’s the day to blare AC/DC and eat some cheeseburgers. That being said, if you’re wondering what’s happening with Robert Downey Jr. today, we completely understand.
As hashtags flooded Twitter mourning the loss of Iron Man, some concerned internet users misinterpreted the trends as the world mourning the loss of the actor himself, not the character. If you were one of the unlucky believers that God rudely took RDJ from us, you can breathe a sign of relief, as we still have the Iron Man actor with us. Considering the actor isn’t even 60 years old yet, we’re praying he stays with us for a while longer as well.
Robert Downey Jr. has yet to comment on the anniversary of his most iconic character’s death, but many fans are questioning if Endgame was the last time we’ll ever see RDJ don the suit and goatee. Downey Jr. himself has never directly commented one way or another on the possibility of a return. However, Marvel exec Stephen Broussard shared in an interview with io9 that Robert Downey Jr. is “no longer being on the table,” giving Marvel fans little hope of an Iron Man cameo somewhere in Phase 5.
That being said, fans only have to look to Christopher Nolan to get a taste of RDJ back on the big screen. In his first dramatic role since leaving the MCU, Downey Jr. starred as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, and critics and fans alike have been fawning over his performance in the film. Downey Jr. also created a documentary in 2022 honoring his father Robert Downey Sr., touchingly named Sr. The documentary revisits the life and career of his late father, and available for streaming on Netflix. Of course, if you want to mourn Tony Stark with the rest of the internet, you can watch all the Iron Man and Avengers films on Disney Plus.