Anthony Russo: 'Iron Man's comeback has to be worth it'

Anthony Russo has insisted that bringing Iron Man back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would only be worth it if the storytelling was good enough to justify his comeback.

The beloved comic book character, played by Robert Downey Jr. since 2008, was killed off at the end of last year's blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, which was directed by Anthony and his brother Joe Russo.

When asked how he felt about Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, returning to the MCU, Anthony insisted his comeback should only happen if it has been "earned" by good storytelling, as his reappearance would undo the stakes in Endgame.

"I mean look, certainly we've always said this and we believe this about stakes have to be real, and if they're not real, like the audience's emotional investment in the moment and in those characters in the narrative is only... is contingent upon them feeling like there's potential. There's something to be lost," Anthony told the ReelBlend podcast.

He went on to add that while he and his brother were committed to having Iron Man sacrifice himself to save the world and defeat supervillain Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, they are aware that there's always room for a comeback within the comic book universe.

"It depends on how he was brought back. It depends on the storytelling, but it is certainly something that has to be earned," he continued. "It's certainly something that would shock and surprise audiences, so you can't simply just bring him back. There would have to be a really compelling, innovative, unpredictable narrative event to find your way there in order for it to be worth it."