Downey's last?

[Fudgie]

If Arnie is doing a Terminator 5 and he's in his 60's, then Downey can keep going.

[kedrell]

Arnie's making a mistake.

[Adamantium Man]

Still, I don't see Downey giving Tony up while he can still reasonably play him. I'm expecting him to renew his contract for at least three more Marvel movies. He seems to love the character and franchise very much.

And after that, bring in new blood. Many talented unknowns out there, as the casting of Hemsworth showed.

[TX85]

Originally Posted by bullets

I don't mind if they stop making Iron Man films after 3 and maybe reduce his role in the Avengers 2 and possibly 3. Then they can focus on other characters in the meantime.
It's hard to imagine someone else in the role so hopefully there is a decent gap before it happens.

I agree,I don't get why age is an issue though since RDJ is not that much older than in IM1 and I'd like to see a super hero on film get older&older than just a reason to reboot,RDJ signing for more is a whole different issue though!!!

IF RDJ leaves and Marvel don't feel to re-boot or want to re-cast,They can just have him do a cameo or have other characters mention in Avengers 2 that Stark retired or has gone on to do things on his own for a while,Then have Stark/IM re-cast for Avengers 3 then eventually re-boot!!

[Timstuff]

If IM3 is Downy's last then they should take a break from IM for a while. I worry that Marvel may run the risk of operating their film division too much like their comic division if they expect to churn out movies from their franchises on a regular basis without fail. The idea of "we have to have an issue out every month" is what ultimately led comics to their doom, because the average reader got sick of being expected to keep up with all the continuity, and the stories themselves felt less and less like an occasion and became so regular that they ultimaely seemed mundane.

Movies have to reach a much bigger audience than the small few million that still read comic books regularly, and that means Marvel is going to have to accept the rules that the film industry has to play by. While comics in their current form operate like a steady flowing stream of never ending continuity, movies have to breath. Right now they are happily inhaling Iron Man, but eventually they're going to have to exhale and breath in something else, or the audience gets bored. Then, a few years later, they'll be ready to breath in Iron Man again, once that's what people want to see again.

I think that's probably why movie franchises tend to come in trilogies-- that's just enough story for people to get a digestible arch. And if you give it a couple years for a break, people start feeling nostalgic about the franchise and you can bring it back for another arch. I don't think that with the way the industry operates though, that there's enough room for every superhero franchise to have the longevity of James Bond. It's an inherently different medium from comics and Marvel would be wise not to expect that they can just keep churning out these movies without ever taking a break.

[kedrell]

I agree Timstuff and I think Marvel knows this. That's why they wanted the whole MCU in the first place. They can get more of their properties on screen and hopefully enough of them are successful enough to be franchises in their own right that they can stagger them in such a way as to give certain franchises that room to breathe whilst others fill the void. And they have enough viable characters to do this.

[redfirebird2008]

Originally Posted by kedrell

Arnie's making a mistake.

He seems to be doing that a lot lately.

[wampa1]

I sincerely hope that whatever happens in regards to actors reprising their roles or not that they just keep going - no rebooting.

As much as I facepalm at the X-franchise at least they're keeping it going and look to be back on track with First Class.

[wampa1]

Originally Posted by redfirebird2008

He seems to be doing that a lot lately.

The only mistakes being made are by the bellends in the media sensationalising everything.

[redfirebird2008]

Originally Posted by wampa1

The only mistakes being made are by the bellends in the media sensationalising everything.

Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with committing adultery, having a kid out of wedlock, and then hiding it from your wife for 10+ years.

[kedrell]

Originally Posted by wampa1

I sincerely hope that whatever happens in regards to actors reprising their roles or not that they just keep going - no rebooting.

As much as I facepalm at the X-franchise at least they're keeping it going and look to be back on track with First Class.

At some point reboots become inevitable. I for one, damn sure eventually want the Hulk rebooted so we can finally get a faithful Hulk origin story. But it won't work with current continuity.

[wampa1]

Originally Posted by redfirebird2008

Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with committing adultery, having a kid out of wedlock, and then hiding it from your wife for 10+ years.

And naturally we all have to stick our beaks in and have our say, thus denying the world of MORE ARNIE MOVIES.

[redfirebird2008]

Originally Posted by kedrell

At some point reboots become inevitable. I for one, damn sure eventually want the Hulk rebooted so we can finally get a faithful Hulk origin story. But it won't work with current continuity.

This is like the question about getting to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. How many attempts does it take for them to get the origin right?

[wampa1]

Originally Posted by kedrell

At some point reboots become inevitable. I for one, damn sure eventually want the Hulk rebooted so we can finally get a faithful Hulk origin story. But it won't work with current continuity.

See, I think for better or for worse, we can dive right in to a new story that isn't rehashing an origin for a third time.

[kedrell]

Originally Posted by wampa1

See, I think for better or for worse, we can dive right in to a new story that isn't rehashing an origin for a third time.

I didn't say the next Hulk movie should be this. I said eventually I'd like a faithful origin story told(at least as faithful as most of the other superheroes got).

But for now they should just run with what they've set up in TIH(TV show+Ultimate Hulk origin).

[kedrell]

Originally Posted by redfirebird2008

This is like the question about getting to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. How many attempts does it take for them to get the origin right?

First they have to show that they can get the character himself right. 2 tries(3 if you count the TV show) and nada so far. Hopefully in the Avengers Whedon & Ruffalo will do better.

But without the gamma bomb(or something very similar), Rick Jones and Banner & Hulk both being characters and the interplay off of them with regards to each other, you simply don't have even close to a faithful origin story.

Might as well have Superman dropped here like Hyperion in the Supreme Power comic or Batman being abandoned by his parents instead of watching them get murdered or Iron Man just being built as a result of Tony Stark getting bored one day or Spider-Man being a mutant who was born with his powers and could've become another one of the X-Men. Liberties can and will be taken with all of their origins when translated to screen but for my money all the ones I just mentioned(and many others not mentioned like DD & the FF) were still highly faithful. Hulk's has never even reached anywhere near that and it really bugs me since I love the Hulk's original origin and all the subtle facets of it.

[Primal Slayer]

I would be fine if IM3 were his last solo movies and he just shows up in Avengers and eventually (if they are a hit and go on beyond 2 films) replace IM on the team with a new Avenger.

[Adamantium Man]

^ I wouldn't. Iron Man is my favorite hero.

Also, he's arguably the one that put Marvel Studios on the map. They're not going to let him disappear. Recasts are more likely.

[TheVileOne]

I think Downey could easily play this role into his 50's if he wants and the movies are still made. Think about it, Schwarzenegger was actually going to play the Terminator AGAIN. He did it again in 2003.

Look at Johnny Depp dude is older than Downey but could probably have him play Jack Sparrow as long as he and Disney wants.

Just wonder how long they can do it though and still keep it fresh and interesting for him.

[weezerspider]

IF he wanted he could do these up until his mid 50's. I watched IM2 the other day and I totally forgot how much CGI is in the action sequences in these films. Sure, he would still need to be in really good shape to do these later in life, but its not like he's doing an action character that virtually uses no CGI.

[Quasimod0]

thats true. as long as he sounds and looks basically the same

[storyteller]

Also he simply doesn't need to be in the suit. But if they were to get a new Stark and cloning is not viable by then. I'd say just continue the story. Doctor who does it so why not.

[DarkSovereignty]

doctor who isn't a good comparison though, because they have canonical explanation for the different actors, a more accurate comparison would be james bond, which works because that was the original genre they were aiming for in the first one.

[deathknell3000]

Originally Posted by Adamantium Man

^ I wouldn't. Iron Man is my favorite hero.

Also, he's arguably the one that put Marvel Studios on the map. They're not going to let him disappear. Recasts are more likely.

I agree.

[Avenger]

I can see Iron Man 3 being Downey's last solo Iron Man movie, and then he'll only come back for Avengers 2 and Avengers 3 (hypothetically speaking) before calling it quits. Avengers 3 probably wouldn't come out until around 2018; by then, Downey will be 53 and he'll probably want to move on to other things.