The character of Iron Man played by actor Roberto Downey Jr. died and will not return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at least according to the studio’s current president, Kevin Feige.

In an interview with Vanity fair Regarding a possible revival of Downey’s role, Feige responded to doubts about the return of the original Avengers, in any form, in any of the future phases of the MCU. His answer was no.

“We’re going to keep that moment and we won’t touch it again.” he promised, remembering Tony Stark’s emotional farewell Avengers: Endgame. “We have worked very hard for years to achieve this, and we would not want to magically undo it in any way.”

For those who can’t imagine a Marvel world without Downey, remember that the 58-year-old actor was only recruited because Feige and director John Favreau insisted on it. Big names were interested in the role, including Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise.

Feige confirmed that the Marvel board was nervous about betting so much on an actor with a past full of legal troubles, even if he had been. nominated for an Oscar for Chaplin. ‘I’m not good at taking ‘no’ for an answer. But I also don’t beat my chest when I impose myself. And that’s why I came up with the idea of ​​having a screen test done.”

Robert Downey Jr. in the finale of ‘Avengers: Endgame’.

Downey passed the test and He stayed with Marvel to appear in eleven films, always in a leadership role and confrontation with other superheroes, until he became a mentor for Tom Holland’s young Spider-Man.

“We joked and said Robert was the head of the acting department because everyone followed him there,” Feige added, recalling that Downey used his contract to lobby for better salary conditions for his teammates. “He took them under his wing, but not in a dominant sense. He just became their cheerleader.

Vanity Fair also interviewed Downey, with a different question. Is it true that your character is simply an extension of your true personality? This seemed to bother the actor, who responded He’s not Tony Stark, he’s “a damn actor.” “I’m just a man with a very interesting past, who has no regrets, who wanted to close the door. I think that is reflected.”