"Iron Man 4": Robert Downey Jr. stuns in jaw-dropping concept "teaser trailer"

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is evolving. Its record-breaking Infinity Saga told a complete story across 11 years, also setting the stage for a new one on its way out. Enter the Multiverse Saga: The next chapter of the MCU that has expanded the franchise into new territory, using the Disney Plus streaming service to produce new TV shows set in the same world.

The new realms and realities available to the story understandably has fans wondering if the faces of the franchise's early days could ever return at some point. While three of the original Avengers remain integral parts of the MCU, the other three are no longer part of the franchise. And yet, rumors persist about the possibility of the returns of Iron Man, Captain America (Steve Rogers), and Black Widow.

As the speculation continues (because, honestly, quite frankly anything can happen in the Multiverse Saga), one fan has given life to what one of those returns could look like if Marvel Studios wanted it to happen.

Fan-made concept trailer imagines what an Iron Man 4 could look like

YouTube user Teaser Universe has taken to the video platform to share an incredible fan-made concept "teaser trailer" for a potential fourth Iron Man movie. The epic trailer takes footage from previous MCU movies, specifically those of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: No Way Home as well as Deepfake technology to imagine what a potential return for Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark could look like.

The clip imagines that Spider-Man and Doctor Strange team up to travel into the multiverse to find an alternate version of Tony Stark because they feel that their world needs Iron Man; it needs Tony Stark to protect them. And honestly, it makes for an incredibly compelling minute of footage, as it does honor Tony's legacy by highlighting how important he was to the MCU. It's also rather believable given how much the death of Tony impacted Peter Parker, and how much Strange respected him in spite of their differences (and let's not forget that it makes full use of the multiverse concept, which is what this saga is all about).

"Tony was our guiding light," the voice of Doctor Strange says in the opening of the fan-made teaser, "without him, the world feels dimmer". There are very few people who would disagree with that sentiment.

Could Tony Stark ever really return in the Multiverse Saga?

If the above trailer highlights anything, it's that quite literally anything can happen in the MCU's Multiverse Saga. We've seen that already through the returns of actors such as Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home (who both reprised their roles as their respective Spider-Men), and Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier from the X-Men movies in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. We're going to see it again in Deadpool and Wolverine when Hugh Jackman reprises his X-Men role as Wolverine.

As the concept teaser imagines, the most likely way that Robert Downey Jr. would be able to return as Tony Stark in another MCU property would be as an alternate version of the character from another earth. He's been rumored to be doing so for some time, with initial rumors suggesting he would appear as the Superior Iron Man in Multiverse of Madness. That didn't pan out, but it wasn't the last time he would be associated with MCU brand, as there was hope that he might cameo as a version of Tony in Deadpool and Wolverine but it ultimately didn't work out.

Downey Jr., who recently won an Academy Award for his outstanding performance in Oppenheimer, has been upfront about the potential of an MCU comeback, telling Esquire that he would "Happily" return to the role if the opportunity was presented to him:

"Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win"

- Robert Downey Jr., Esquire

The original Tony Stark's story is over, ending on a bittersweet note when he sacrificed himself to save billions from Thanos, so anything outside of a flashback wouldn't make sense for him to return to that version of the character. The fourth Iron Man movie didn't happen when the character was alive, so it's unlikely that they would make a sequel now (unless it took place outside of the current MCU timeline like Black Widow did). But, like the concept trailer plays with, the idea of him playing an alternate version of Iron Man (whether that be from another earth or another timeline) is entirely possible as long as the Multiverse Saga continues.

There are rumors of some kind of Iron Man return in either Avengers 5 or Avengers: Secret Wars. There is no confirmation as to whether that will actually happen, but it would certainly be an unforgettable way to bring the Multiverse Saga to a close, showcasing all of its potential by having the comeback that MCU fans all over the world are longing to see.

As the above concept teaser showcases, the Multiverse Saga truly would be the perfect catalyst to bring Robert Downey Jr. back one more time, even if it's not as the same version of Tony Stark. One more cameo appearance would be more than welcome.