Robert Downey Jr.'s commitment to Marvel Studios ends with this May's Iron Man 3, so does that mean we've seen the last of his take on Tony Stark? Kevin Feige won't spill the beans, but hit the jump to read the actors thoughts on whether he wants to carry on playing the Armored Avenger.

"Let's just say that the only thing I ever let go of had claw marks in it," Robert Downey Jr. cryptically told Empire Magazine in their latest issue when asked whether or not he wants to return to the role of Tony Stark after this May's Iron Man 3. "There's a little bit of soul reclamation going on. I feel that the first time I played Tony, I did it best. Sorry! The affinity with Tony now is: how do you sustain something? I'm not stupid, I like to play ball, I love the company, I love the character, and the business side of things, I'm not to picky about that either."

It certainly doesn't sound as if the actor has made a final decision about making a return, but it seems fair to say that Marvel Studios WILL want him back, even if it costs them considerably more than it did when they hired him for Iron Man back in 2008! Unsurprisingly, Kevin Feige wasn't willing to give anything away, but he was quick to assure fans that Tony Stark himself is going nowhere. "Tony's going to carry on. Avengers 2 already has a release date!"

As for how Robert Downey Jr. feels about the possibility of being replaced and another actor taking over the legacy of Iron Man (similar to the James Bond franchise), it's not something he seems to be all that concerned about. "It would probably be the best thing in the world for me. You know, ego...but sometimes ego just has to be smashed. Let's see what happens. I take the audience very seriously - I feel bad when I see folks doing movies and the audience is like, 'Don't do that anymore.' I don't have to overstay my welcome..." Do you want to see the actor back as the Armored Avenger? Sound off with your thoughts in the usual place!