It would all have to end at some point.
Robert Downey Jr. confirms he’ll step down as Iron Man, according to reports. However, this won’t happen until after Infinity War. For now, he’s promoting his next film, Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In an interview, the Iron Man actor reveals he has an idea of when he’ll leave the role. While he won’t go into specifics, he does have a good rationale for choosing to step down.
“I just keep thinking it’s about when your 16-year-old says, ‘Well I have a license now I can drive,’ and you want to put a tracker in their car and you want to be able to deactivate it,” he says.
“For those who are familiar with him and love Spider-Man, he really does kind of rise to the occasion,” Downey says. “Through a series of mishaps and trials he does wind up doing some extraordinary stuff.”
Downey states he wants to leave Tony Stark on a high note. Just as important, he wants the MCU to be in good hands when he’s gone.
“It’s like with a team if you’re going to hang up your jersey, you want to make sure the team is in good shape and they can still compete at a high level,” he says. “Because ultimately that’s what made the whole thing worth doing anyways.”
Downey explains he “genuinely had a blast” while making the movie. The actor praises Tom Holland’s performance, and he cites Spider-Man as a character whom he admires.
“I just love Spider-Man, so to me being able to participate in reintroducing Spider-Man to a new generation or giving kind of a really back to,” he says. “That’s why it’s called homecoming.”
What Iron Man’s future will be is not yet known. After Downey leaves, Marvel has the options of retiring or recasting the role.
Spider-Man: Homecoming premieres on July 7, 2017.
