"RDJ is back baby" - Robert Downey Jr. set to return as Iron Man in Avengers: Secret Wars, says insider

Robert Downey Jr. got the greatest exit from the MCU in Avengers: Endgame. Many fans didn’t expect Marvel to kill off their biggest superhero, but they did! Although the world mourned Tony Stark, Marvel fans knew that it may not be Downey’s final appearance as the character. After all, even Kevin Feige has admitted that MCU is a comic book universe where anyone and everyone can return after their death.

The ending that Tony brought to Endgame provided a satisfactory resolution to the plot, and Marvel won’t do anything to undermine it. However, since the Multiverse Saga is ongoing and MCU has already announced Avengers: Secret Wars, the return of Iron Man was always expected within the fandom. If industry insiders and scoopers are to be believed, then the terms of RDJ’s return have already been finalized!

Will Robert Downey Jr. be back as Tony Stark in MCU?

Although Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine received a great ending in Logan, the actor is set to return in Deadpool 3, promising that nothing will be done to ruin Logan’s ending. Similarly, Iron Man sacrificed himself on the big stage, but his exit from the MCU may not be permanent either.

Established scooper and industry insider @MyTimeToShineH claimed that Robert Downey Jr. will be returning as Tony Stark. Those who have followed the pattern of their scoops know that they only tweet about something upon hearing it from their source within Marvel. As such, they recently tweeted about Robert Downey Jr.’s return, writing:

"RDJ is back baby (for Secret Wars for sure, and there's been some talks for a cameo in Armor Wars)"

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Even though a few their scoops have gone wrong in the past, their overall track record is pretty good. This time, however, their intel has also been corroborated by another established source of scoops called @MCUSource on Twitter, who tweeted:

"BREAKING: Robert Downey Jr. has confirmed that he will return in #Avengers: SECRET WARS and will have a cameo in ARMOR WARS!"

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Readers should note that these kinds of news are to be taken with a grain of salt because the report doesn’t come officially from Marvel. However, the possibility of Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Tony is much anticipated by the fandom.

Avengers: Endgame became the biggest superhero movie of all time, but rumors suggested that Feige wants to make Avengers: Secret Wars even bigger. This could only happen if the finale of MCU’s Multiverse Saga turns out to be the biggest crossover event where everyone returns.

How Robert Downey Jr. might return to MCU as a time-variant or a multiversal variant

Tony Stark and James Rhodes in Captain America: Civil War (Image via Marvel)

Since the aforementioned scoop states that fans will see Robert Downey Jr. back in Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s possible that he will return as a time-variant or a multiversal variant. Apart from that, Armor Wars is one of the two projects where Tony might return for a brief scene.

The other project is Ironheart, but that isn’t happening. Armor Wars has now been turned into a movie, and Feige wants to market it well. So, with the word going around that Tony could have a cameo in the film, the interest in Armor Wars will be at an all-time high. While there’s no guarantee about it yet, one could assume that his cameo will happen as a flashback sequence.

Avengers: Secret Wars is an upcoming project that is expected to see almost every superhero from MCU and other past franchises. On that note, while there might not be a certainty for Robert Downey Jr.’s appearance in Armor Wars, the chances of seeing him as Iron Man in Avengers: Secret Wars is a big possibility.

Avengers: Secret Wars will arrive on May 1, 2026.