Few characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have as extensive — or as devoted — a fan base as Tony Stark/Iron Man, played by Robert Downey, Jr.
Iron Man (2008) was RDJ’s fan-favorite character, and he went on to appear in 11 MCU films: Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Stark went from a billionaire playboy to the husband of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), the trusted confidante of Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), the mentor of Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), the sometimes-adversary of Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), and the fearless leader of his father’s legacy, Stark Industries, over the course of more than a decade.
As Marvel’s Infinity Saga drew to a close in Endgame, he likewise valiantly sacrificed himself to rescue the planet from Thanos (Josh Brolin).
Now that Robert Downey, Jr. has acknowledged his departure from the MCU, speculation about Tony Stark’s recasting is rife.
Iron Man was already recast with a new voice actor in Marvel’s Disney+ Original animated series What If…? (2021), and there have been numerous rumors that Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, Jerry Maguire) will play an Iron Man variant in Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness, which is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2022.
However, this story was recently debunked.
However, John Stamos, a Full House star and die-hard Disney fan, has been cast as Tony Stark in Disney’s forthcoming second season of Spidey and His Amazing Friends. According to one report:
The series, which centers on Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Spider-Gwen, will see a number of new Marvel characters introduced this season, including Ant-Man (Sean Giambrone), The Wasp (Maya Tuttle), Sandman (Tom Wilson) and Iron Man, who will help Team Spider overcome challenges from the likes of Electro.
Stark is Parker’s mentor in Kevin Feige’s MCU, and the two become close – Stark’s legacy can even be seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which takes place after the character’s death.
More on Spidey and His Amazing Friends
The official description of the Disney Junior super hero show reads:
Marvel’s first full-length series for preschoolers follows Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales, who together form “Team Spidey,” and their adventures as the young heroes team up with Hulk, Ms. Marvel and Black Panther to defeat foes like Rhino, Doc Ock and Green Goblin. Geared towards preschoolers and their families, the series models the importance of teamwork and helping others and highlights themes of friendship, cooperation and problem-solving.
Are you excited for John Stamos to become part of the Marvel universe?
