‘Iron Man 4’ Casting News: Jon Favreau Hopes Robert Downey Jr. Reprises Iron Man Role in Movie Franchise [VIDEO]

Actor Robert Downey Jr. has hinted in an interview with Variety that a younger actor will eventually replace him in portraying Tony Stark or Iron Man. However, Jon Favreau became the voice of the Iron Man fans in expressing the hope that the "Avengers" star will still reprise the role in the movie franchise.

At the premiere of his latest film titled "Chef," Jon Favreau talked about Robert Downey Jr. portraying Iron Man on the big screen. The 47-year-old actor/director thinks that even though Robert Downey Jr. has already been Iron Man for quite some time now, fans would still want to see the man that brought Iron Man to life continue in portraying the superhero character.

"I've had a few movies off, so it's a lot easier for me to say that it should be done. I hope he continues doing it and, as long as he fits in that suit, there's no reason he shouldn't," Favreau stated in the Comic Book report. Jon Favreau directed "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2" and also got the chance to act with Robert Downey Jr. as he portrayed the character Happy Hogan in the "Iron Man" films.

In the Variety interview, Robert Downey Jr. talked about his future in the movie franchise as the "genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist" Tony Stark. According to the 49-year-old actor, the smart money is to look at the age of the cast members.

"I'll put myself at the top of the list. Sooner or later, they've got to start over and get somebody young," Robert Downey Jr. stated in the Design & Trend report. "When you really think about it at the end of the day, these films are entertainment largely driven by young folks. There is something very honorable about that. I run into kids wearing 'Captain America' masks. My kid believes that Captain America is real," the actor further added.

Meanwhile, fans can still watch actor Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark or Iron Man in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." The film, which also stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson and Nick Fury, is scheduled to open in movie theaters on May 1, 2015.