"Iron Man 3" has received a tremendous critical reception and is predicted to open to the biggest weekend in box office history. That combination is likely to lead production company Marvel Studios to ponder on whether or not to perpetuate the series.
A number of questions have arisen about this possibility however thanks in part to the skepticism of lead actor Robert Downey Jr. The thespian told GQ a few months ago that "[The injury he suffered on set] got me thinking about how big the message from your cosmic sponsor needs to be before you pick it up. How many genre movies can I do? How many follow-ups to a successful follow-up are actually fun? Because, as quiet as it's kept, I come from a family of very innovative writers and directors and actors and artists, and the circle of friends they were in were the people I heard having pun-offs playing poker at two in the morning, and it was just the most comforting aspect of my childhood."
He added, "So there's this kind of legacy of souls from what I consider to be a very particular time in entertainment, and I'm sensing a return to that-it's what me and the missus are doing next. It's not unlike: I heard Brady signed on for three more years with New England, and then he's done being a QB, because he'll be 40. I'm 47, and I'll be 50."
However, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige does not see Downey Jr's potential departure as an issue and that it is "certainly our plan to continue to have Robert Downey in the persona of Tony Stark for many, many years to come." However, he did note that the character of Stark could be likened and treated like another major cinematic hero.
"Well, look, I don't think Robert will be playing this character for another 30 years, and I certainly hope the character stays in movies for the next 30 years -- just like James Bond. I would say before George Lazenby and Roger Moore, Sean Connery was James Bond," Feige told the Huffington Post. "It will take a while to fill any shoes, whether it's filmmaker shoes or writer shoes or certainly actor shoes. I think Tony Stark is an interesting enough and rich enough character that he can persevere."
Don Cheadle recently endorsed the notion of perpetuating the series. "It's going to be determined definitely by Marvel, and if they think there's another aspect of the story that needs to be told that wasn't covered in the trilogy," he stated. "I think if people like you make enough noise about it there'll be an Iron Man 4."
However, actress Gwyneth Paltrow was not as positive. "I don't think there's going to be [an 'Iron Man 4']. I think we're done with 'Iron Man,'" she told Geek Nation in a video interview.
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