Marvel Comics welcomes new decade with 'Iron Man 2020' but it might be a while before Arno Stark makes his way to MCU
Come January 2020, the future begins. At least for Marvel Comics, it does.
Nearly 36 years ago, Marvel introduced Arno Stark, Tony Stark's cousin and the Iron Man of the year 2020. A villainous character, Arno showed us what Tony would be like without a moral compass, a perfect personification of futurism without heart.
Decades later, we were introduced to another character named Arno Stark. This Arno isn't Tony's cousin, he is his brother, the actual firstborn son of Howard and Maria Stark.
Now Arno is about to step into the spotlight and take up his brother's mantle as Iron Man 2020 in a story that will be driven by the futuristic advances of the world we live in today, focusing on Artificial Intelligence and all the dangers it poses as well as some of the moral questions it brings up.
How might this affect the Marvel Cinematic Universe you ask? Well, the comics and the films aren't clear mirrors of each other, but they do bleed into each other quite often.
It's unlikely that we'll see the actual 'Iron Man 2020' comic adapted to the big screen, at least not for a while. However, there's always the possibility that Iron Man 2020 himself could find his way into the movies, especially since Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is currently dead in the MCU.
Whether we do get to see Arno in the MCU or not, Marvel already has a blockbuster year planned with 'Black Widow' and 'The Eternals' heading to screens in 2020. But that said, it would be a shame if the MCU were to ignore the momentous event that is the beginning of a new decade, one that Marvel themselves have been dreaming of since 1984.
Here's the synopsis for 'Iron Man 2020' by Dan Slott and Christos Gage, with art from Pete Woods: "IT’S A NEW IRON MAN FOR A NEW YEAR! The future is now! Artificial Intelligences present a clear and present danger to humanity and must be brought to heel! The Robot Rebellion battles for the establishment of robot rights! And Arno Stark IS Iron Man!"
'Iron Man 2020 #1' goes on sale on January 15. The first MCU movie of the new decade, 'Black Widow', will arrive in theaters on May 1, 2020.