When asked about any upcoming plans within the MCU while on the SmartLess podcast, Robert Downey Jr confirmed that his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come to an end.
The actor, who played Tony Stark/Iron Man for 12 years, was asked about the importance of work/life balance by host Jason Bateman, who wondered, "I'm assuming that the Marvel thing is at a slower speed now... or you're done with that now?" Downey Jr directly responded, "That's all done."
The answer seems to be more straightforward than the one he gave earlier this year when he was asked during an interview with Extra TV, alongside his wife Susan, if there was a chance that he might return to the MCU. At the time, he said, "Yeah, anything could happen."
Downey Jr, whose character died in Avengers: Endgame, added that Marvel has other projects in the works now. The actor, however, didn’t address rumors that Tony Stark is reportedly going to make a cameo appearance in Black Widow, which is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 6, 2020.
That film completed filming on October 6, 2019, which means that Downey Jr could still appear in new MCU films that simply haven’t been released yet, like Eternals, which takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Still, it’s unlikely that aside from Black Widow, Downey Jr’s presence would make any sense in future films.
As for upcoming projects, Downey Jr stars in the sports film All-Star Weekend, alongside Jamie Foxx, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Szohr, Eva Longoria, Ken Jeong and Gerard Butler. The film, which has already been completed, was directed by Foxx.
He will also reprise his role as Sherlock Holmes in a third film, scheduled for release on December 22, 2021. The third film in the Sherlock Holmes series follows 2011´s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Although the first two films were directed by Guy Ritchie, the third will be directed by Dexter Fletcher.
Source: Lad Bible