Looks like it’s one and done for Robert Downey Jr. and Spider-Man solo movies.
The Hollywood Reporter brings word that the actor, who has played the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man rather effortlessly for the better part of a decade, won’t be appearing in the planned Spider-Man: Homecoming sequels after all, and will instead be replaced by another superhero from the Marvel roster. The exact details of that purported substitution are still to be ironed out, but one would assume Peter Parker’s newfound buddy will turn out to be another member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Captain America, perhaps? Or someone new entirely?
As for the outgoing Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. is undoubtedly a huge draw – but he’s also a costly one. Sources close to Deadline claim that the MCU veteran made upwards of $5 million per day for three days’ worth of work. Couple this with the fact that Downey Jr.’s version of Tony Stark is surely approaching the end of his tether and rumors that Marvel is looking to draft in another superhero for Homecoming 2 aren’t all that surprising. Besides, those disappointed that Uncle Tony is making off for pastures anew can always look forward to Avengers: Infinity War, at which point Downey Jr. and Tom Holland will become part of the biggest Marvel ensemble in film history.
On a related note, another tidbit buried in today’s report involves The Vulture, revealing that Michael Keaton is only contracted for a single Marvel movie.
Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theatres on July 7th, and though the small print of Marvel and Sony’s licensing agreement has been the source of much confusion over the past few weeks, it would appear that Spidey appearing in Sony’s comic book universe isn’t out of the question after all.
