'Iron Man 4' rumors: Deleted Ant-Man scene hints at possible fourth 'Iron Man' film?

Iron Man as seen in Avenger: Age of UltronMarvel Studios

News about a new Iron Man film has been thin on the ground in recent months, but a recent report suggests that a deleted scene from "Ant-Man" appears to give a hint about the fourth installment of the Iron Man franchise. The scene, which was shared by Entertainment Weekly, features commentary by director Peyton Reed and star Paul Rudd. In it, Darren Cross is seen giving a presentation and demonstration of his new technology to some investors.

At one point, Reed says that one of the buyers has a tattoo on his neck, and Rudd asks, "Is that a 10 Rings tattoo?" It can be recalled that the 10 Rings criminal organization was the one behind Stark's kidnapping in the first Iron Man film, and it was speculated that the appearance of a 10 Rings member in the Ant-Man film is a hint at the plot of "Iron Man 4."

Last year, it seemed like the chances of having another "Iron Man" standalone movie was slim to none as Robert Downey Jr. told Variety that there were no plans for a fourth installment of the film.

"There isn't one in the pipe. No, there's no plan for a fourth 'Iron Man,'" he told the website.

But fans were given a bit of hope when the actor spoke with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show and said that he knew there was going to be a lot of Marvel movies and that they had big ideas of how to do it best.

"You know, we're in the middle of negotiation…" the actor trailed off.

"So, yes?" DeGeneres asked.

"Okay, yes!" Downey confirmed.

Marvel Cinematic Universe has not added "Iron Man 4" to its Phase 3 list, which features movies that will premiere from 2016 all the way to 2020. But next year, Iron Man will be joining Captain America and other Marvel superheroes in "Captain America: Civil War." Iron Man is also expected to be in "Avengers: Infinity War," which has been split into two parts—part one will premiere in May 2018, while part 2 will debut in May 2019. Marvel has announced that there are plans for a fourth phase in the MCU, which consists of movies planned for release from 2020 to 2028, but as of now, the company has not finalized which movies will be shown in those years.

Marvel has yet to confirm whether a fourth "Iron Man" movie is in the works.