Robert Downey Jr Says New Iron Man Is A ‘Bad A** Mother F***er’

Changes are coming to Marvel’s Iron Man comic books, including the secret identity of Iron Man himself. Tony Stark has been keeping an eye out for a replacement, someone he feels confident in passing on the mantle so he can enjoy a much deserved retirement. He’s found that person, and Marvel fans love the choice for the new Iron Man, but not as much as actor Robert Downey, Jr. The actor, who has played Iron Man in the feature films, gives an emphatic endorsement of the new Iron Man character, but a new wrinkle in the story may reveal that Marvel’s latest Iron Man hero may be up against some pretty stiff competition.

Robert Downey, Jr. Reacts To Marvel’s Plans For A New Iron Man

Get ready for a new generation of Marvel BAMF… pic.twitter.com/nMChfQkh0n

— Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) July 7, 2016

Marvel is letting a 15-year-old black girl take over as the new Iron Man and fans, including Robert Downey, Jr., couldn’t be more excited about the idea, reports Mirror. The character, Riri Williams, is a genius in her own right, proving her right to assume the Iron Man identity by reverse engineering Tony Stark’s iconic suit. When Stark realizes what Riri has done, he’s only too happy to let the young girl take on the role of Iron Man and, while Tony may be happy to give up the superhero lifestyle, Robert Downey, Jr. is even more thrilled that Marvel’s adding diversity to the comic books.

“Get ready for a new generation of Marvel BAMF…,” tweeted Downey on hearing about Riri Williams.

For those wondering what the BAMF internet lingo means, it’s exactly what you might think. Bad a** mother f***er.

Fans agree with Robert’s assessment of the new Iron Man, feeling proud of Marvel for introducing more gender and ethnic diversity to the Iron Man comic books.

“Tony stepping down as Iron Man and allowing a young POC WOMAN to take his spot… amazing,” responded one fan to the news.

“I get people don’t want Tony to step down or whatever but having a black woman as Iron Man is incredible and amazing representation,” comments another fan.

While some Iron Man fans have objected to the new superhero, most are accepting of the introduction of a culturally different character.

Riri Williams will be introduced in the soon to be released Civil War II comic books.

Iron Man Brings Victor Von Doom Into The Story

While fans are getting excited about Riri Williams becoming the new Iron Man, the Hollywood Reporter reveals that Marvel has more plans for Iron Man. Victor Von Doom, the Fantastic Four villain, will take up the Iron Man persona in Infamous Iron Man. As the Civil War II storyline comes to a close, Von Doom will attempt to replace Stark as Iron Man and enable the Iron Man character to become a villain for a time.

This isn’t the first time Iron Man has indulged his bad ways. Tony Stark himself switched sides in 2014’s Superior Iron Man, when a story arc created a situation in which the heroes and villains magically switched morality. Even so, Marvel hasn’t revealed if Victor Von Doom will be a villain in the new Iron Man story arc, but it does seem likely. For Riri to take up the role of Iron Man on a permanent basis, it may be planned for her to go up against Von Doom in Tony Stark’s absence.

The Civil War II storyline casts Tony Stark in the position of arresting those likely to commit crimes in the future, which, in turn, forces him into a conflict against Captain Marvel. Following that story arc, Tony Stark is inexplicably absent from the ensuing Iron Man comic books.

Infamous Iron Man will launch in the fall.

[Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images]