Robert Downey Jr.'s inclusion in "Iron-Man 4" has been a hot topic. There's no doubt that the "Iron-Man" franchise has done well for Marvel Studios. And not only that, Downey became Iron-Man and vice versa. So when there was news that Downey will no longer be in "Iron-Man 4," a burden was placed on Marvel Studios' shoulders. How can the movie franchise go on without Downey?

After months of discussion and Downey dropping hints and not-so hints about playing Tony Stark in "Iron-Man 4," here comes word that there's actually something that Marvel can do to keep Downey around until the fourth movie. And it has something to do with getting someone on board the production team.

In a talk with Deadline, Downey was promoting "The Judge" when the interviewer asked about his Australian friend Mel Gibson, who is known as a great actor and director. Some of the movies he directed like "Apocalypto," "Brave Heart," and "Passion of the Christ" are all highly regarded films.

Deadline asked, "Marvel badly wants Iron Man 4 and you've said you aren't doing it. How about the idea you'll do that movie if Mel directs it?"

Downey answered with a word, "Correct."

Deadline then followed it up with a question if that could be the headline of the article. Downey said "Why not? That movie would be bananas."

It is unsure whether Downey was forced to answer via this line of questioning or if this is really what he had in mind.   However, Downey has said what he said and this is a bomb that just exploded at the feet of Marvel Studios.

With Marvel wanting Downey to play the iconic Marvel character again, they might just have to think about getting Mel Gibson as a director. Downey hasn't made a decision yet, but as Cinema Blend said, "if he did actually proceed with his demands it could cause an almighty headache for the studio."

The headache is caused by two extremes. The first is that Gibson made some nasty anti-Semitic comments in 2006 and no movie maker would like to hire him due to fear of tarnishing their reputation. Given that Marvel produces family movies, hiring Gibson could be detrimental to the movie franchise, or even the studios.

The second is that while there is this great risk, hiring Gibson is assurance that "Iron-Man 4" will be a great film and it will seal the deal when it comes to Downey. It looks like Marvel Studios will do a lot of thinking if Downey pushes this demand.