'Iron Man 4' News, Updates: Here's Why We're Not Getting Another Robert Downey Jr. Marvel Film

If we're getting another movie with Iron Man in it, Marvel fans can forget about looking for an "Iron Man 4." Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark may be ready to turn over the mantle to Marvel's rookie superheroes who have been introduced since the last “Iron Man” film graced theaters.

With more than a decade under his belt as the quirky, philanthropic, multibillionaire superhero, Robert Downey Jr. has been negotiating with Disney on his salary costs as far back as 2013. Add to that, Downey was paid at least $10 million just for his more minor role in “Spider-man: Homecoming.” Knowing that Downey is the perfect casting call for the iron-suited superhero does have its costs that Marvel and Disney have to take into considerations.

If real-life cost considerations won't be putting Robert Downey Jr. out of work as Marvel's billionaire wonder, the current narrative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be ready to give Stark his final break anyway.

For those who have yet to watch “Avengers: Infinity War,” be warned of massive spoilers to follow.

Story-wise, Stark is a battered veteran superhero. While Tony Stark is one of the survivors of Thanos' plans, his mental state may have been pushed to the limit by the ending of “Infinity War.”

Stark has been through the darkest parts of himself where he saw how he hurts the people he cares about. Stark's assistant and love, Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, may have spilled the potential fatherhood arc for Stark. This ups the stakes for Stark when deciding to continue his superhero career.

Fans also remember that what pushes Stark to continue being a superhero was the traumatic experience of the first Battle of New York. He is starting to feel the weight of the burden of protecting Earth from any similar threats in the future. Adding to that trauma, he just watched Peter Parker melt away in his hands after failing to stop Thanos from using the Infinity Gauntlet. Not even all of Stark's money in the world can mend that wound that Tony was afraid would happen from the very start. Tony Stark recovering from all the past trauma even if he were to succeed in “Avengers 5” would not really be an exciting story to tell for “Iron Man 4.”

While we can potentially expect Robert Downey Jr. returning for “Avengers 5” in 2019, barring the character's speculated death or sacrifice in the upcoming “Infinity War” sequel, fans will probably be seeing less screen time for “Iron Man,” which would not be good for a potential “Iron Man 4.”