It is more or less confirmed that Doctor Strange 2 will bring in an Iron Man variant. Robert Downey Jr. was our Iron Man and there’s no denying that. No one else could replace him. No one else could be as good as him. But there’s one actor who can actually play Iron Man and still honour Robert Downey Jr.’s Legacy. This actor is none other than Tom Cruise. His Superior Iron Man could prove how RDJ was the best Iron Man.
Tom Cruise coming into MCU’s mix as an Iron Man variant has been rumoured for almost two years now. Doctor Strange 2 is exploring the multiverse. And right from the beginning, we heard rumours that the film will bring in a few actors who were almost cast as MCU characters in the past, but ultimately lost those roles. While others like John Krasinski and Emily Blunt may not get to show up as Captain America or Black Widow variants, we’re 90% sure that Tom Cruise will finally come into the MCU as Iron Man.
Loki established that multiverse variants could look totally different from each other. Then Spider-Man: No Way Home put a further stamp on that matter by bringing in Maguire and Garfield. So if these guys could have different faced variants, why can’t Iron Man? Even though Tony Stark wasn’t present in the trailer physically, the fact that Ultron sentries were escorting Doctor Strange made it crystal clear that we will see Superior Iron Man. And who better than Tom Cruise to take the baton from Robert Downey Jr.?
They’ve had a rivalry for bagging roles in the past. Downey initially came close to starring in 1986’s Top Gun. Then Cruise was the first choice to play Charlie Chaplin, a role that bagged Robert Downey Jr. an Oscar nomination. And then Cruise and Downey had the tussle for Iron Man. So really, Cruise playing the gig would be quite poetic! Marvel is not bringing RDJ back after his universe saving sacrifice. It was arguably the biggest most heroic sacrifice we’ve ever seen in any movie. After that, if he has to return, which is a big if, he’d only be back in the Secret Wars event. But for now, we’d be content with Tom Cruise.
Cruise is someone who can match Robert Downey Jr. with his elite Hollywood status. Back in 2007, he turned the role down due to creative differences. So that would be solved as now he’d be the perfect candidate to deliver a totally different variant of Iron Man. There are many fans who would argue that no one could replace Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. And nobody could even come close to playing the character in a better way. So to those fans, I’d say that we don’t need this new variant to be better than RDJ. We need him to be different, and we need him to be good with the portrayal. That’s what this running man could provide us effortlessly. With his big name and reputation, he’d add the kind of weight to the character that would be needed for his short-lived appearance.
Rumour has it that this variant of Tony Stark has successfully installed Ultron as a world peace program to keep his planet safe. Hence, the Ultron sentries were seen in the recent trailer. Furthermore, he’d also have 3 Infinity Stones, and keeps the head of Thanos in a jar! So, he is already way too different. As the name suggests, he will be “Superior” in terms of his achievement. But that doesn’t mean he’d be better. What his description tells me is that this version will be ruthless, and rather extreme. Keeping the head of Thanos in a jar as a trophy is a crazy show of power. So, he probably is an even bigger ego-maniac than MCU’s Tony. And being a part of the Illuminati squad, his ideals would lead him to lose against the Scarlet Witch.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark was flawed in his own way. But he was always ready to sacrifice himself in the need of the hour. He almost died in the first Avengers, in Age of Ultron and then in Infinity War before making his valiant effort in the Endgame. No one could replicate that kind of a move in the entire Multiverse. What If…? showed us Iron Man from multiple universes. And every variant of Iron Man that appeared ended up dying. As I’ve mentioned, Tom Cruise’s superior Iron Man who is said to have 3 Infinity Stones will also perish.
So, all this shows us that it was just Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony who would always be the best version of Iron Man to exist in the entire multiverse. Not even the great Tom Cruise with an Iron Man that has even bigger achievements could prove to be better than Downey. And that will be a true honour for Downey’s character.
Do you also think that RDJ was the best Iron Man? Are you excited to see Tom Cruise’s Iron Man in Doctor Strange 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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