Iron Man was arguably the most important character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel has set up a new character to take over not just his role in the team, but his thematic conflicts as well. Ever since Iron Man’s death in the MCU timeline, conversations have arisen about who will fill this gap in the franchise. With this in mind, it is exciting to see that the most complex conflicts that the original Iron Man faced will also be addressed with his new replacement in the universe.
The MCU has recently been setting up new spins on existing characters, with many speculating the intent for these characters to lead into a Young Avengers project. Whether or not this occurs, Marvel is clearly turning to their past success to address their future. The most obvious version of this is in Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom casting, but it can also be seen in the passing of mantles to characters like Sam Wilson. As the franchise reinvents itself, it also looks to capture some of the same magic that it had in its first three phases.
