Ironheart believes the children are the future

Before the multiverse, magic, or any of Marvel's streaming series were important parts of the studio's cinematic universe, there was Iron Man. After years of so-so movies, Iron Man reminded everyone that Marvel's big-screen adaptations could be amazing with the right creative teams and stars attached. Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark was the MCU's centerpiece and a prime example of how the House of Ideas could make box office record-breaking icons out of its lower-profile characters. A couple of the Iron Man films were terrible, sure, but they each played a role in shaping the larger story. And by spending so much time building up Iron Man's presence, Marvel ensured that audiences would be emotionally invested when the franchise ultimately killed him off.

A desire to recapture that old Iron Man magic seemed to be part of the reasoning behind Marvel's baffling decision to bring Downey back as Doctor Doom for its upcoming Avengers features. On its face, the move felt like a sign that the studio was scrambling to win viewers back by playing the hits in a slightly different key. And while Iron Man being a Doctor Doom variant might wind up appealing to diehard fans who've followed along …

Read the full story at The Verge.