With rumors swirling around the uncertainty of Robert Downey Jr.’s involvement in Avengers 2, Joss Whedon says he won’t make the movie without him.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Whedon made his stance on the issue very clear saying, “I have no intention of making Avengers 2 without him, nor do I think I’ll be called upon to do that.”

Whedon’s comments provide a small sense of comfort for fans who feared the incomparable Tony Stark might be left out of the sequel or, dare we say, recast.

The Much Ado About Nothing director also expressed confidence that a Stark recast was even less likely than the character being written out. “He is Iron Man. He is Iron Man the way that Sean Connery was James Bond,” Whedon said.

Granted, even Sean Connery’s Bond was recast five times, but we get the point.

Downey Jr.’s contract with Marvel Studios ended with this year’s Iron Man 3 and as of now, the star has not signed on for Avengers 2.

The man behind Tony Stark hasn’t given any definitive answers about whether or not he will return in any more Marvel films.

He seemed conflicted in a May interview with Empire  where Downey Jr. said, “Let’s see what happens. Chances are… I don’t know…  I feel bad when I see folks doing movies and the audience is like, “Don’t do that anymore.”

The Avengers made over $1.5 billion worldwide with Downey Jr. leading the super crew as Stark.

The actor will have some time to decide while Marvel rolls out sequels to Thor and Captain America in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Although a release date for Avengers 2 has been announced, no official start date for filming has been set.

Avengers 2 is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2015.