Rumors are abound that seminal Iron Man actor, Robert Downey Jr, will not be returning for a fourth instalment as the man in the super strong suit. Whether this is Downey Jr related because he’s become too expensive for the role or Tony Stark related and the character is actually killed off in Avengers: Age of Ultron is uncertain.

Colin FarrellColin Farrell as Tony Stark? [Getty/Frazer Harrison]

Whatever the reason, Colin Farrell’s name has been put in the replacement frame and it seems Iron Man as a rolling character with different actors is not a new thought to the studios.

Marvel Studios President, Kevin Fiege, said last year, "I see no reason why Tony Stark can’t be as evergreen as James Bond. Or Batman for that matter. Or Spider-Man."

The problem is, of course, that there are very few actors that have encompassed their superhero so completely as Downey Jr. Downey Jr is Stark, Stark is Iron Man and Iron Man is Downey Jr. So can anyone really fill his shoes and, if they can, is Farrell the one to do it?

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Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell could be the next Iron Man? [Getty/Frazer Harison]

Farrell has had a career full of highs and lows, including the unfortunate failure of Alexander and the huge critically-acclaimed gems of In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths.

Of course, this is not dissimilar to his American counterpart whose career took a turn for the worse as he battled with substance abuse and didn’t really start to fly again until he put on the Iron Man suit for the first time in 2008

Next page: So, does Colin Farrell have what it takes to play Stark?