Robert Downey Jr.'s Latest Take on 'Iron Man 4': 'I Feel Like I Could Do One More'

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man (Photo: Marvel, Zade Rosenthal, AP)

Will Robert Downey Jr. appear in a fourth stand-alone Iron Man movie? At the moment, the answer sounds like yes … maybe.

As both slashfilm and comicbook.com noted, a Nightline piece on Captain America: Civil War reports that the actor will “probably do another Iron Man.” “I feel like I could do one more,” Downey says in the segment. (To see the relevant portion of the clip, watch the video below starting at the 3:55 mark.)

This information is shared very much in passing, without any additional context, such as when Iron Man 4 would be slotted into Marvel’s hefty film production schedule. Given that and the actor’s rich history of being vague and flip-floppy on this matter, it might be wise to take this news within arm’s reach of a few grains of salt.

Related: Robert Downey Jr.’s Trailer Compound Made His ‘Captain America’ Costars Jealous

Consider Downey’s history of responses to the Iron Man 4 question:

— In a September 2014 conversation with Variety, Downey said, “No, there’s no plan for a fourth ‘Iron Man.‘” Sounds pretty straightforward.

— Fast-forward one month to an October 2014 Deadline interview in which Downey talked in circles when asked about a fourth Tony Stark show. Ultimately, he concluded, “It all has become this thing that has to be figured out. It has come to a head, right now, where the points of departure will be.” He also, seemingly half-jokingly, said that he would only appear in Iron Man 4 if his friend Mel Gibson were hired to direct it.

— A few days after that Deadline interview was published, Ellen DeGeneres asked if there would be a fourth Iron Man movie and Downey said yes. Awesome, great news!

— Wait, don’t shoot off your jet packs yet: shortly after he was on Ellen, the actor appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman, where Letterman asked point-blank whether there would be another Iron Man. On that talk show Downey said, “Just between us — no. But I’m going to do other stuff with Marvel…. There’s going to be plenty of fun stuff to happen.” OK, this is officially confusing.

Related: ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Cast Assembles for the World Premiere

— In 2015, Downey spoke to Empire Magazine and implied that he was nearing the end of the Iron Man road. As noted by Screenrant, he said: “I also recognize that I’ll be turning 50 by the time I promote this movie,” referring to Civil War. “The clock is ticking down on the amount of memories and participation that I would allow myself and not embarrass the medium with.”

So in summary, it seems fair to assume we may never know for sure if Iron Man 4, starring Robert Downey Jr., is actually happening until and unless we are sitting in a movie theater watching it. And even then, you know what? Dude could still change his mind.

Robert Downey Jr. talks the conflict in ‘Captain America: Civil War’: