Spider-Man: No Way Home Writers Say Iron Man Return Is a “Non-Starter” at Marvel

Many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe watched Avengers: Endgame and tried to think of ways that Tony Stark/Iron Man could come back to life in some way or another. And now, with the constant inclusion of the multiverse in “phase 4” of the MCU, it isn’t surprising that the theories are popping up again about how we can see Tony in the Marvel world once more. The problem? It seems to be a non-starter for the folks at Marvel headquarters.

Talking with The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith podcast, screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers talked about resisting the urge to go back to Tony Stark with No Way Home. “I think honestly that’s a non-starter in the halls of Marvel, at least in our experience. They just don’t really like constantly evoking [Iron Man]. I mean, obviously, Tony cast such a large shadow even after Endgame — which we dealt with in Far From Home — but I think everyone felt like we can’t just keep on going to the Tony well.”

Missing Tony

I am arguably one of the loudest people online about wanting Tony Stark to come back, and while I think there are ways to bring him back, I also think that Robert Downey Jr. still wants a break from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, hearing that they’re giving him that freedom and letting him leave the MCU without trying to bring Tony back in some way or another is oddly nice—especially with rumors that Tom Cruise will be entering the MCU and fans thinking he’ll play a different universe’s Tony Stark. Tony Stark is Robert Downey Jr., and I’d rather never see Tony again than have someone else come in as a different Iron Man just to have him back.

But telling McKenna and Sommers that they can’t bring Tony into a Spider-Man movie is pretty telling in how Marvel is operating in their post-Endgame plans.

Peter Parker in the MCU has gotten the title “Iron Man Jr.” despite Far From Home proving that is not the case in the slightest. And while I liked the idea of Tom Holland’s Peter having Tony as his Uncle Ben figure, I didn’t dislike the twist to Peter’s origin story in No Way Home that made his moral compass Aunt May. Without Marvel sort of laying down the law (a bit) and keeping Tony out of the fold, No Way Home might have been a completely different look into Peter’s origin story.

Does this mean we’ll never see Tony Stark again? I, personally, don’t want to say never, but it sounds like Marvel isn’t interested any time soon, and if it means bringing new characters into the MCU while some of our faves stay gone, that’s something we’ll have to learn how to deal with.

(images: Marvel Entertainment)

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