With it being well known that Robert Downey Jr.’s contract with Marvel Studios would come to an end with the upcoming IRON MAN 3, it was seemingly a given that he would be signing on for further Tony Stark outings. Apparently not. Downey Jr. recently spoke to GQ about IRON MAN 3, alluding that he may be hanging up the armour and walking away from Ol’ Shellhead.

When asked about an injury that he suffered on the set of IRON MAN 3, Downey Jr. responded, “It got me thinking about how big the message from your cosmic sponsor needs to be before you pick it up. How many genre movies can I do? How many follow-ups to a successful follow-up are actually fun? Because, as quiet as it’s kept, I come from a family of very innovative writers and directors and actors and artists, and the circle of friends they were in were the people I heard having pun-offs playing poker at two in the morning, and it was just the most comforting aspect of my childhood. So there’s this kind of legacy of souls from what I consider to be a very particular time in entertainment, and I’m sensing a return to that – it’s what me and the missus are doing next. It’s not unlike: I heard Brady signed on for three more years with New England, and then he’s done being a QB, because he’ll be 40. I’m 47, and I’ll be 50.”

Asked to elaborate on what changes when he turns 50, Downey Jr. alluded, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Right now I don’t have a contract to do anything, and I did for the last five years.”

It could quite easily be suggested that Downey Jr. is essentially giving himself some leverage for a new contract with Marvel, or there could be more to it.

There’s already been talks of Iron Man possibly making a brief appearance in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and it was taken as a given that he’d be an integral part of THE AVENGERS 2.

Expect to hear more on this as it develops.

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