3. Peace with Steve
After the events of Captain America: Civil War, you can understand the position Tony was put in, and why his friendship with Steve has gone to the rocks, but it would be nice if later on down the line they reconciled. Despite their difference in opinions, they work really well together, and inspire growth in one another. Remember when Tony met Steve for the first time in Avengers Assemble? Steve was just a military man in a new world and still blindly following orders. It was Tony who taught him to question the authority and the moral compass of the governing bodies they dealt with (looking at you, Secretary Ross. We haven’t forgotten the events of The Incredible Hulk.)
Tony may not ever forgive Steve for what he did but I really hope that they’re able to move past this. People change. And we can’t always hold them to the wrong decisions they made several years ago. Of all people, Tony Stark should know that. So yeah, they may not be best buddies but an Iron Man/Captain America team up is still a strong physical and tactical advantage in any battle.
2. “Give me back my Rhodey.”
Lt. James Rhodes is an important character. He’s a mentally strong character that helps keep Tony grounded with the strength of his convictions alone. They’re best friends, for goodness sake. So it would make sense that Rhodey would have more screen time in another Iron Man film. He’s not really had a lot of input leading up to Civil War which is fair enough, because he was only recently officially made an Avenger. Now that he is one, it would be great to get an onscreen bromance rivalling that of Steve and Bucky’s. I’ll leave the ship names to you guys.
The more interesting element to this that should definitely be explored is Rhodey’s recovery after the accident. There’s so much potential for character development and even backstory if done in the right way. It would be great to see something that reinforces the idea that superheroes are still, for the most part, human, and are not exempt from serious injury. Plus, the fact that Rhodey has a military background and you have an excellent opportunity to address something on the big screen that you often don’t see without it becoming an all-out military movie. How will he find ways to help Tony when times get tough? How does it affect his family and the relationships with the other Avengers? How great would it be to watch the two of them upgrade the War Machine suit together? So much potential content!!
1. Miss Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts
Yeah, I said it. I know some of you found Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts rather annoying but just hear me out. I really want her back in the picture because nobody can deny how great the chemistry (and dialogue) between her and Tony is. Who else is going to give you sassy comebacks like “I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires. Including occasionally taking out the trash. Will that be all?” and “I was having 12% of a moment”? Tell you what, just have a browse on IMDb to familiarise yourself and you’ll see what I mean.
But while the dialogue between these two characters are great, I’d want to see more from Pepper than just that. I want Tony to reconcile with her, but as we’ve witnessed (and he himself has admitted) that he’s quite a handful, I wouldn’t want them to get back together. That would be the predictable, easy way of solving a conflict and a waste of a great character. So instead of that, I’d prefer them to be just friends and colleagues. Besides, Pepper was made CEO of Stark Industries, remember? I doubt she’d have time to run the company and deal with Tony’s shenanigans, even though she practically did all of that before her promotion.
But in all honesty, I think the most interesting way to take an Iron Man 4 film with Pepper in, is with her as the lead character. Believe it or not, she has worn an iron suit before, and went under the alias of Rescue. The armour, designed just for her, gives her abilities akin to Iron Man’s just without all the weaponry, and while some would ask what’s the point, my response would be that there’s more to superheroes than their ability to shoot laser beams from their chest. And let’s face it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to release a film with a female superhero as the main protagonist, although one has been announced and we have television shows like Agent Carter (sadly discontinued) and Jessica Jones, it’s still not enough. I think an Iron Woman film would be a great way of utilising a pre-existing character and making her into something more. What do we want? More female leads! When do we want it? Much sooner!
So there you have it, a comprehensive set of reasons why we should have a fourth Iron Man film. There’s so much that could go into one it’s almost frustrating that a new title hasn’t been officially announced. If there are any Marvel producers reading this, then please answer our prayers!
What do you guys think? Is there anything I missed out? Why do you want an Iron Man 4 besides the fact Robert Downey Jr. is great to watch on-screen? Or conversely, why do you think we don’t need another one. I want to open up the conversation on this one – be characteristically hyperverbal if you like ;-). Let us know in the comments section or on Twitter!
