'Iron Man 4' news update: Sequel will have different Tony Stark? Iron Man suit taken over by super-villain?

Developments on the character of Iron Man in the Marvel comic book series have started to rock the boat on the Marvel "Iron Man 4" movie scene, even though, technically, the film is not confirmed in the Marvel Studio realm.

There are reports that another Marvel character may be donning the all-too-familiar red suit. Of course, it would be redesigned to suit the character in mind.

Supervillain Dr. Doom is being geared up to take over the Iron Man mantle in the "Marvel NOW!" lineup. Fans may dismiss this as pure balderdash, but the drawings posted by Marvel's illustrator, Alex Maleev, on his Twitter page are all too real and "Doom-ized."

As if it's not enough to be replaced by a villain, an earlier report, also from the comic book front, revealed that Tony Stark will be bowing out as Iron Man to a teenaged genius named Riri Williams. The young African-American is said to have "reverse-engineered" one of the billionaire playboy's old suits.

Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis explained to TIME that the comic book series ending to "Civil War II" will find Iron Man being replaced by the brilliant 15-year-old who finds her way into MIT.

Bendis also explained how Stark will get to the point where he will have this teenager bowing him out.

"We're in the middle of a very big Tony Stark storyline — actually three storylines converging. His best friend died, his company is collapsing and he's finding out who his biological parents were all at the same time."

He went on to say that a situation like this will find someone like Stark very much stressed, but then Stark will get to a point where he will realize what it is like to be completely and finally out of the Iron Man suit. The comic book ending to Civil War II will show this as well as make a clear path toward Williams' entry.

Now, as to what this means for the "Iron Man 4" movie: nothing and everything.

Nothing — these are developments in the comic book world and may or may not hold true for the "Iron Man 4" movie which Robert Downey, Jr., himself said he is still willing to do back in 2014 on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

Everything — because for the iconic Iron Man to not be Downey Jr. is totally distressing for fans, and that's an understatement.