Those Colin Farrell For 'Iron Man 4' Rumors Refuse To Die

Rumors are abound that seminal Iron Man actor, Robert Downey Jr, will not be returning for a fourth instalment as the man in the super strong suit. Whether this is Downey Jr related because he’s become too expensive for the role or Tony Stark related and the character is actually killed off in Avengers: Age of Ultron is uncertain.

Whatever the reason, Colin Farrell’s name has been put in the replacement frame and it seems Iron Man as a rolling character with different actors is not a new thought to the studios.

Marvel Studios President, Kevin Fiege, said last year, "I see no reason why Tony Stark can’t be as evergreen as James Bond. Or Batman for that matter. Or Spider-Man."

The problem is, of course, that there are very few actors that have encompassed their superhero so completely as Downey Jr. Downey Jr is Stark, Stark is Iron Man and Iron Man is Downey Jr. So can anyone really fill his shoes and, if they can, is Farrell the one to do it?

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In Stark, Downey Jr has already accomplished that cheeky, charming persona of a man who refuses to play by the rules - personality traits that, if anyone else could attempt, Farrell might be the man.

With that twinkle in his eye Farrell could easily play a tortured soul, something we’ve come to expect from our iron men as a result of Downey Jr’s natural performance as emotionally-complicated Stark.

So maybe Farrell is a credible replacement. The real question is then: are we really ready to part with Downey Jr?

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