One of the things I enjoyed most about Avengers: Endgame was the way it set the scene for a new MCU. Three of the biggest heroes – Captain America, Black Widow and Iron Man – were dead, Thor had joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, Sam Wilson is the new Cap, the decade-long Thanos/Infinity Stones arc had finally ended and a whole bunch of new heroes were poised to take centre stage. The seeds have been sown for something new, and new is good.
All of which means it’s sad to hear constant reports that say Marvel Studios are considering resurrecting Thanos, or that Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is going to continue to make cameo appearances, and especially that Robert Downey Jr. may reprise his role as Tony Stark. Stark’s sacrifice was one of the most powerful moments of the movie (and of the whole MCU to date), and walking that back in any manner would retroactively cheapen the whole thing.
So, it’s refreshing that James Gunn is very much not on board with the idea. During an Instagram Q&A, a fan asked him whether he’d have any interest in bringing Iron Man back, and Gunn replied:
“Nope. I think Downey’s arc was great, and he’s an amazing Iron Man.”
James Gunn is in a unique position amongst Hollywood creatives as he’s the only director to date to work in both the MCU and DCEU. He’s currently shooting The Suicide Squad and will then move on to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As such, he’s clearly someone who both studios see as competent and whose opinions are worth paying attention to.
With that in mind, let’s hope they listen to him and let the dead rest. Recycling the same old characters over and over is seriously unimaginative and if we’re going to be subjected to infinite superhero movies forever, I’d at least like new faces under the masks.