The Iron Man franchise may be getting a new and possibly younger face, as Robert Downey Jr. has shot down rumours that he is returning for "Iron Man 4." Reports indicate that Ty Simpkins will be replacing Downey Jr. as the lead role of the film.

According to Crossmap, Downey Jr. has denied rumours that he will be coming back for "Iron Man 4." Recent reports indicate that Simpkins will play the lead role in the next Iron Man film, not as Tony Stark, but as the young boy who idolised Stark in the third film.

14-year-old Simpkins made his appearance in the MCU in "Iron Man 3" as a young genius who assisted Stark in his fight against the antagonists of the film. Simpkins is also known to play roles in other movies like "Jurassic World," "Insidious," "Revolutionary Road," and "War of the Worlds."

The root of rumours of Downey Jr.'s departure from the Marvel world started when his contract expired with "Iron Man 3," and it's reported that the actor wants to opt for a percentage share for the next film instead of a fixed fee. Marvel allegedly declined the offer and negotiations did not work out.

Movie Web has also speculated other Downey Jr. replacements to be Collin Farrell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Norman Reedus and Jon Hamm.

The exit of Tony Stark from the Avengers could be a challenge for Marvel since Iron Man is one of the three core members of the team if solely based from comic books (the other two being Captain America and Thor). Add to that, after the argument noted by Cinema Blend that Downey Jr. was Marvel's key to initial success, there is reason to believe that this is not the end of Marvel and the actor's relationship.

Downey Jr. is still expected to play Stark in the upcoming "Captain America: Civil War," and it is believed that the film could tell an exit story for the billionaire inventor.