Marvel officially confirms Iron Man is returning for new series

When you think of the premier Marvel Comics characters, Iron Man is undoubtedly up there at the top. Tony Stark has been a fixture of the Marvel universe since his debut in 1962, going on to become one of the greatest heroes of all time, battling every threat in the cosmos, and even forming The Avengers. That popularity has transcended the comic book medium, as the character became a fixture of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, with actor Robert Downey Jr. bringing him to life on the silver screen.

Now, Marvel has confirmed that Tony will take to the skies again in the pages of his own new comic series, and to say fans are excited for it all to begin again for Iron Man would be quite the understatement. What's better is that it will see the reinvigorated Tony go up against some new foes, old foes, and innovate along the way - something we all know he's really good at.

A new era for Iron Man in new Marvel Comics series

Iron Man is once again set to take center stage in Marvel Comics as Marvel has just announced a brand new comic series starring the beloved armored Avenger. It will all kick off with Iron Man No. 1 in October, and what a team has been assembled to bring it to life. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Spencer Ackerman will make his Marvel debut with the story, and he will be joined by artist Julius Ohta.

The story will carry on from Gerry Duggan's Invincible Iron Man, which featured more than its fair share of major moments. With that series concluding, it's now time for the next chapter in Tony Stark's story, and Marvel.com reveals that it's going to be a very different Tony Stark we see. Revitalized in just about every way, he will be more prepared than ever for his foes, which catch many of them off-guard. But how will he - and his new "Improvised Iron Man" suit - hold up against the new Iron Monger?

The Iron Monger is one of Tony Stark's archenemies and he's become so closely associated with Obadiah Stane over the years, thanks in no small part to the fact that he was portrayed by Jeff Bridges in 2008's Iron Man. It's going to be interesting to see who takes on the mantle in the new series going forward.

Could Tony Stark ever return to the MCU?

The news of a new Iron Man comic series just reinforces how popular the Marvel character is. He's timeless, and it understandably has fans wondering if we will ever see the character return on the silver screen. Robert Downey Jr. changed the game with his performance in the MCU movies, debuting in 2008's Iron Man and going on to appear in two sequels, and four Avengers movies, alongside supporting roles and cameos in other standalone MCU movies.

His final appearance as the character (thus far) came in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, when Tony sacrificed himself to save half of the universe from Thanos. It was an emotional moment that signified the end of an era for the MCU; it's first real era. It was also a fitting conclusion to the Infinity Saga as it saw an 11-year story wrapped up in one big bittersweet bow, setting the stage for what would come next.

Even though that was the definitive end of Tony's story, Downey is definitely open to returning at some point, telling Esquire that he would "happily" make a comeback as Marvel is a part of his DNA, stating that the role chose him.

While it's unlikely that Tony would ever return in the same capacity as when he was fully part of the MCU, we wouldn't rule out a surprise appearance from Robert Downey Jr. as another version of the character at some point in the future. This is the Multiverse Saga, after all, and with Avengers: Secret Wars expected to bring in heroes from across the multiverse, fans are hoping that we'll see an alternate version of Tony make his presence felt in the battles.

In the meantime, however, you can check out his comic book adventures, as Iron Man No. 1 arrives this October.