The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s inaugural hero Robert Downey Jr. strikes his signature Iron Man pose once again - this time for a charity. Kicking off the popular superhero franchise in 2008 via Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, the actor’s casting was a big risk back then. Boggled down by a long, troubled history with substance abuse, many were skeptical about putting a budding film series on his shoulders. Fortunately, things went extremely well, with Downey reprising the role many more times, including his farewell outing in Avengers: Endgame.

For 11 years, Downey had been a fixture in the MCU. Aside from his own trilogy series and of course, the Avengers sub-franchise, he also had supporting roles in films like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Given his fate in Avengers: Endgame, chances of him reprising his Tony Stark role are very slim - although that hasn’t stopped persistent rumors about his involvement in upcoming Marvel Studios’ projects. Word has it that he’ll have a role in Cate Shortland and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and the animated series, What If…?. While fans wait for any official word, the public is delighted to see him in his latest social media post where he strikes his Iron Man pose again.

Posted on the actor’s official Instagram account is an image of him doing his signature MCU pose. Unfortunately, this isn’t a tease for a potential return to the franchise, instead, the snap is part of an effort to raise funding for Australia’s devastating bushfire relief. Aside from Downey, his Avengers co-star Jeremy Renner also also participated in the charity. Check out the photo below:

For some who have continued to clamor for a potential Iron Man return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this might be disappointing. Despite a strong roster of new heroes becoming the next face of the franchise, there’s just something special about the universe’s founding heroes, especially its inaugural one. However, looking at the bigger picture, it’s difficult to argue with the logic behind where Tony ended up in Avengers: Endgame. Sad as it was, his whole journey makes sense. It would be a shame to ruin arguably one of the best-implemented character arcs in cinema for a cheap cameo.

More: Iron Man’s Endgame Death Was Even Worse For Spider-Man Than You Realized

Source: Robert Downey Jr.

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