Robert Downey Jr. Confirms "Iron Man 4"

During an appearance on "Ellen," Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. confirmed that "Iron Man 4" is currently in the works, as reported by The Wrap. While the actor confirmed the existence of the film -- responding, "Okay, yes" when pressed by Ellen DeGeneres -- he did not actually state whether or not he would star in it.

Recently, the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" star discussed his possible future continuing to play Tony Stark, noting that it's "all being talked about on a bunch of different levels right now."

"To me, it comes down to what’s the half-life of people enjoying a character? It’s different on TV, where you expect the longevity over seasons while movies get a two- or three-year break," Downey Jr. said in early October. "Marvel keeps stepping up its game, and I appreciate the way Kevin Feige and all the creatives there think. They are as in the creative wheelhouse as any great studio has been at any point. So it becomes a matter of, at what point do I cease to be an asset to what they’re doing, and at what point do I feel I am spending so much time either shooting or promoting these films that I’m not actually able to get off the beachhead and do the kind of other stuff that is good for all of us. Each one of those movies is spread over two years and some people fit other things in."

While Downey Jr. had previously stated in September that there were no plans for "Iron Man 4", it certainly makes sense for Marvel Studios and Disney to continue the franchise from a financial standpoint. "Iron Man 3" earned $1.2 billion worldwide (the fifth highest-grossing film of all time) and the "Iron Man" franchise as a whole has earned $2.4 billion in worldwide box office gross.