Marvel Announces Iron Man’s New Era Is Coming In 2027

Marvel fans now know what Iron Man will be up to at the end of 2026 and into 2027, and it is not what anyone expected. The Marvel Universe currently faces a massive upheaval, and now a little bit more about the aftermath has become clear. When the dust settles, it is going to be a new era for Iron Man, unlike any before, but is that a good thing for the hero?

With Robert Downey Jr. back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe playing Dr. Doom in December's Avengers: Doomsday, there is constant buzz about whether he might also pop back up as Tony Stark, either in that film or its sequel Secret Wars. That remains TBD, but for anyone who still wants to get their Tony fix, Marvel is taking the character in a wild new direction in the comics.

At San Diego Comic-Con this year, during its Avengers: Armageddon panel, Marvel announced two new Iron Man arcs that will run concurrently well into next year, slated to start in December right around the theatrical release date for Doomsday: "Incarcerated Iron Man" and "War Machines."

That's right, in the wake of Armageddon, Tony Stark will be alive, but he will also be in prison, in an arc that author Joshua Williamson told fans at SDCC he's been steadily building toward since taking over Iron Man.

Iron Man Is Getting Locked Up In "The Vault," In A Bleak Start To 2027

Iron Man #12, Written By Joshua Williamson; Art By Carmen Carnero; Out In December

"Incarcerated Iron Man" will start in Iron Man #12, which comes out December 2. "War Machines" begins in Iron Man #13, coming two weeks later, and the stories will trade back and forth from there. "Incarcerated" is the big surprise coming out of Marvel's Armageddon SDCC panel, of course. With the major crossover touted to have a superhero body count, fans weren't even sure Tony Stark would survive. Now, readers know he'll be around, but behind bars.

And not just any bars. Tony Stark is going to the Vault, the Marvel Universe's super-prison for the most dangerous characters in its world. That means Stark is going to be deemed too much of a threat to world security to be free. From what Iron Man writer Joshua Wiliamson teased, it is possible the hero is there voluntarily. Either way, it begs a major question: what did Stark do to merit being "Incarcerated"?

The implication is that Tony is going to do something intense in the climax of Avengers: Armageddon. It might save the world, but it might also be so terrifying that his superheroic peers all agree that he has to be put away. That is going to be a huge point of speculation over the remainder of 2026 for Marvel Comics fans.

Marvel Is Bringing Tony Stark Low At A Pivotal Moment In His History

Iron Man Is Building To Its Milestone 700th Issue In 2027

Coinciding with the "Incarcerated Iron Man" arc will be "War Machines," in which James Rhodes leads a squadron of War Machines as a substitute for Iron Man, now that Tony Stark is out of commission. It's a major shift for the Iron Man franchise in the comics, a bold new storytelling initiative that will give readers a version of the hero they've never quite seen before.

Iron Man has had his low lows before, but "Incarcerated Iron Man" is taking a novel approach, from what is known about it so far. Details might be scarce for now, but many of the uncertainties surrounding the storyline will be answered in the issues ahead of Avengers: Armageddon. At the Armageddon SDCC panel, Marvel also dropped a promotional image for the latter part of the crossover with the tagline, "The Future is Iron."

So, what exactly does that mean, in conjunction with "Incarcerated Iron Man"? And how is all of this going to lead into the celebration of Iron Man's 700th issue since launching in the '60s? Marvel is likely to release more details in the coming days and weeks; check back with Screen Rant as it covers the up-to-date news on Iron Man's ambitious new era in Marvel canon.

Iron Man's "Incarcerated Iron Man" and "War Machines" arcs kick off in December and will continue through early 2027!

Tell us your thoughts, Marvel readers. What is Tony Stark going to do to end up in the Vault?