Robert Downey Jr. is the patriarch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the actor knows it. The star kicked off the franchise back in 2008 with Iron Man, leaving Downey Jr. to become the de facto symbol of all things Marvel. Still, fans are starting to worry the actor may soon leave the MCU, but Kevin Feige says he doesn't have to worry about that retirement anytime soon.

However, let’s all remember the word ‘soon’ is a relative one.

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Recently, the president of Marvel Studios sat down for an interview with Toronto Sun to plug Spider-Man: Homecoming. When Feige was asked if he can envision the MCU without Downey Jr. in it, the producer had the following to say:

“Luckily [with] those [next] seven movies we just talked about – Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man & the Wasp, Captain Marvel, untitled Avengers 4 and Homecoming 2 – I don’t have to worry about that any time soon,” Feige said.

“I do think Iron Man, like Spider-Man, like Batman, like Superman, like James Bond has existed long before most of us were around and will exist long after most of us are gone. So it’s inevitable at some point, but certainly nothing I have to think about anytime soon.”

Fans know Downey Jr. can reign over the MCU for only so long. When Avengers: Infinity War drops next year, the actor will have been playing Iron Man for a solid decade. Downey Jr. does have a close connection with the MCU character, but the franchise will need to make difficult changes to keep its universe fresh. Tony Stark will have to reinvent himself at some point to draw interest back to Iron Man, and the transformation may require Downey Jr. to bow out of the role.

In recent weeks, fans have grown concern about the actor’s place within the MCU thanks to several interviews. Downey Jr. has touched upon the topic of his retirement during recent press junkets; Most recently, the actor told ABC news he wanted to exit the MCU while he was still in peak condition.

"It's like with a team if you're going to hang up your jersey, you want to make sure the team is in good shape and they can still compete at a high level," Downey explained, "because ultimately that's what made the whole thing worth doing anyways."

For now, fans can enjoy Downey Jr. in Spider-Man: Homecoming as he reprised his role for the film. The actor will then suit up in Avengers: Infinity War before presumably returning for Avengers 4 in 2019. After that, Iron Man’s future in the MCU looks rather unclear.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is in theaters now! Give it your personal rating below!

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

The cast includes Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, JacobBatalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, with Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. It also includes Jon Favreau, Martin Starr, Kenneth Choi, Michael Mando, Selenis Leyva, Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., JJ Totah, and Hannibal Buress.

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