Robert Downey Jr. Felt He Overstayed His Welcome at Marvel? New Story Reveals Actor Wanted To “Get out before it’s too late”

Following Robert Downey Jr.’s adamancy to end things right, he was against tarnishing his Iron Man legacy by returning for more entries.

While Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t seen as the optimal choice to star in the MCU back during its inception, it didn’t take the actor long to change his public perception. And over a decade later since the first Iron Man, which kickstarted it all for the multi-billion-dollar mega-franchise, the Tropic Thunder Star is now one of the biggest names in Hollywood.

However, prior to getting killed in Avengers: Endgame, considered one of the most powerful moments in the MCU, there were times when the actor considered parting ways with Tony Stark.
Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. Was Fixated on Finishing His Iron Man Run on a High Note

While Robert Downey Jr. loved playing Tony Stark in the role, the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Star was adamant about not wanting to overstay his welcome, which goes with everything for the actor. Speaking of her husband, producer Susan Downey said (Vanity Fair),
“He is very conscious of a beginning, middle, and end to telling stories… And he is also very conscious of not wanting to overstay a welcome, knowing when to get out before it’s too late and you regret that you didn’t.”
The Oppenheimer Star, who is now a favorite for 2023’s Oscars for the Best Supporting Actor category, said he wasn’t ready to blow his previous MCU outings by dropping the ball with the next one. But despite being reluctant about tarnishing his legacy by sticking with the role more than he should, he was left disappointed after finding out there was no standalone Iron Man 4 in the talks after the threequel.

Marvel Isn’t Going to Pull a Hail Marry by Bringing Back RDJ

But despite Downey’s doubt about sticking to the role for more than he should have, his stay in the MCU was nothing short of remarkable, and the end to his iconic run remains one of MCU’s best moments. And while rumors claimed the MCU was planning to undo it by bringing Iron Man back for the multiversal showdown, Kevin Feige put an end to those rumors, ensuring they aren’t going to hinder his legacy. He was quoted saying,
“We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,” Feige said. “We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.”