But let’s not forget some of the great heroes still yet to appear onscreen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are a ton of characters who remain unclaimed at present, several of which could join the franchise with enough power and authority to stake a claim for the place at the head of the table.
Already, we know of one soon-to-arrive hero who’s tailor-made to take the centre stage. It’s difficult to know whether the character will blend seamlessly into the universe or not (stranger things have gone wrong before!) but the signs are good for a hero whose popularity has flourished of late. Carol Danvers – who’ll be brought to life by Oscar-winner Brie Larson – has taken a number of starring roles in Marvel comics recently. Her key part in the Civil War II story put her in direct competition with Tony Stark and such an interplay could ultimately provide a great blueprint for having her usurp Stark in the MCU. This is a series of movies that’s crying out for a truly impressive female hero, after all…
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will always owe Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr. a tremendous amount for the help he gave in the early years. These days we see comic book movies as essentially being a licence to print money, but that’s not an inherent quality. Tony Stark’s overarching guidance through the first phases of the MCU was of critical importance and accommodating him for a few more cameos or pop-ups may just be a worthy thank you. It’s clear, however, that the time to have every aspect of these movies pass under the watchful Stark eye has passed. With so many other excellent and popular heroes now operating in and around the Avengers, the torch can be safely handed over.
And, who knows; if the rumours about a major character being killed off by Thanos’ hand prove true, maybe Avengers: Infinity War will be Tony Stark’s final hurrah?