Well it looks like the fans have spoken on MoviePilot.com in their "fan casting" contest for the next Iron Man. And the winner is: Colin Farrell. It is certainly not the strangest casting rumor and many remember what was originally thought of Robert Downey, Jr. when he took the helm of Stark Industries. While Avengers 2 is being shot, it appears that everyone's favorite billionaire may not be at the top of the heap much longer.

Robert Downey Jr. is done as Iron Man?

Now we will have to play the waiting game to see what the Oscar-nominated Downey will do. As the engine of everything The Avengers is about, Tony Stark would be leaving some big armor to fill. So when MoviePilot announced that Farrell was the fan choice even they seemed bewildered by the unorthodox choice. Farrell has done well playing villains and heroes and he is a strong presence on screen. But does he have the charisma that makes Downey's Iron Man such a likable character? We will have to wait and see.

It is realistic to have to replace the 49-year old actor but he seems like he loves every Marvel minute he is in. Having done a screen test for the original, he wowed producers, who wound up putting him in a position to spearhead Marvel's movie campaign. Six years later and fans already appear to be clamoring for a new Iron Man. It is understandable to look ahead as a movie studio but casting Farrell may make fiscal sense at the end of the business day, while some will not be excited that their favorite Avenger is exiting stage left.

The Avengers 2 is now filming

Chris Evans has already publicly stated that he will finish his commitment as Captain America and then probably move behind the scenes. This leaves another gaping hole in the future of The Avengers. To lose two of the core three members may not sit right with die hards and the hardcore geek set. We will be anxiously waiting what happens next.