Robert Downey Jr. will reportedly appear in Black Widow

It looks like Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark will make his return in Black Widow.

Natasha Romanoff, who met a tragic and heroic end in Avengers: Endgame, will finally get her time in the spotlight in next year’s Black Widow. The film is set to introduce several new characters, but it appears a familiar face will also be popping up.

According to a report from Deadline, Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark one more time in Black Widow. The piece, which recapped the winners of last night’s Saturn Awards, briefly mentioned that Downey Jr. would appear in the film:

"“Robert Downey Jr.’s swan song performance as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in Endgame earned him the best actor in a film award. (Downey will be seen in the role of Stark one more time, however, in the Marvel prequel Black Widow in May 2020.)”"

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Like his Avengers teammate, Tony Stark met his demise in Endgame after he sacrificed himself to stop Thanos and his army. It was widely believed that the film would mark the end of Downey’s tenure as the character, but it looks like Marvel was able to convince him to reprise his role once more.

Black Widow takes place directly after the events of Captain America: Civil War, during which Romanoff was on the run from the U.S. government after aiding Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes in their escape. In the film, Stark coldly warned her that she would become a fugitive before she stormed off. It wouldn’t be surprising if this conversation somehow factors into the events of Natasha’s solo film.

As of right now, we can assume that Stark’s presence will be minimal and that he likely won’t see him suit up as the Armored Avenger. But if Marvel was willing to seek out Downey for the project, he must have a key part to play. Seeing the character again will also be a treat for fans who are already missing his presence. We’ll see how Tony Stark comes into play when Black Widow arrives in theaters on May 1, 2020.