MGM’s iteration of Ian Fleming’s super-spy James Bond turned fifty this year, and will celebrate by making his first appearance at San Diego Comic-Con International this week. Would his approach to sequels work with comic book superheroes? Marvel may soon show us.With Robert Downey, Jr. hinting in Entertainment Weekly that there might not be much left in the tank for his portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man, it may be time for Marvel to start thinking about making some hard decisions. In all likelihood, we won’t lose Downey anytime really soon (he’s expressed a deep affection for the character and is reportedly getting a raise on his already-substantial salary for the second Avengers film), but that doesn’t mean that sooner or later there won’t be a need to jettison one or more of the big-name stars in these roles.If, for example, someone’s big headlining movie flops but they’ve already been written into a team movie shortly thereafter, the studio might choose to distance itself from the flop by recasting the actor and redesigning the character or costume. It’s already happened, to a smaller degree of course, with The Incredible Hulk, if you really think about it.So if the time comes that an actor can’t, won’t, or isn’t asked to return, what then? It’s not as simple as rebooting Batman or Spider-Man because the studio wants a fresh start, because so much of the appeal of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is tied up in the interconnectedness of the films. Replacing an actor will have ramifications not only in his or her own solo picture but in Avengers movies and other such team-up flicks as well.
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