There have been lots of stories speculating that Iron Man 3 will be Robert Downey Jr.’s last film as Iron Man. In a recent interview with GQ, Robert Downey Jr. even reiterated that his contract with Marvel Studios expired with Iron Man 3. When asked about if he would be leaving the superhero franchise Robert Downey Jr. said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Right now I don’t have a contract to do anything, and I did for the last flve years.”While Robert Downey Jr. might not know what the future holds in store, Iron Man 3 director Shane Black seems a little more confident. At the Iron Man 3 premiere in London, Shane Black told the Evening Standard, “I think he’ll be back for another one. I’m sure of it.”So will Robert Downey Jr. return? We tend to think that Shane Black knows what he’s talking about. While it might be true that Robert Downey Jr. isn’t under contract, it’s likely only a formality between the respective legal teams to get a deal done. Robert Downey Jr. has been aggressively promoting Iron Man 3 around the world, which tells us that he’s not going anywhere.After having helped build the Iron Man franchise, why would he walk away from a sure thing blockbuster? As long as Robert Downey Jr. does Iron Man he’ll have a guaranteed fat paycheck that will allow him to pick and chose among any other film offers.
