Last week, Marvel’s The Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon dropped some interesting details about the upcoming sequel to the film, including the addition of a brother/sister team. The director has now spoken with Desde Hollywood and has teased some more about what we can expect, but first he spoke about whether Robert Downey Jr. will return as Tony Stark.

“I am not the guy who has to worry about him being replaced. He is Iron Man at this point. When I heard that he was cast I knew that something had just changed, and I usually don’t know stuff like that. I was like ‘Now we are in a new phase.’ The way he embodies it… I love working with him. He is so perfect for it, Shane captures it so perfectly in this movie.

“I want him to play it forever. The great thing is that he has a flying metal suit. So it’s not like those Charles Bronson or Roger Moore movies where you’re like ‘Dude, you can barely stand.’ He’s got some fight in him. At the same time, if Robert decides to hang it up, he has a perfectly good excuse.”

When asked why The Avengers should worry about Thanos, Whedon teased this: