When will Robert Downey Jr. retire as Iron Man? It's too soon to say for sure, but now the actor has spoken up to say he'll bow out before things get "embarrassing."

　　Speaking to News.com.au, the actor suggested that he could have said goodbye already had the opportunities in front of him not been so compelling. "It's this cyclical thing," he explained. "I could have said when the first Avengers came out: 'It's never going to get any better than that. Everybody stop.' But to me it's always about people and opportunities, like the (Avengers directors Anthony and Joe) Russos, who I adore."

　　Downey Jr. went on to say that he's proud of his superhero movies and added that he wants to walk away from Iron Man on a good note.

　　"Everyone says to me it's like a glove that fits so well," he said. "I have to start over every time but I am starting over with a pretty solid base. I just never want to blow it for the last six or seven (MCU movies) I have done by dropping the ball because I decided to go do it one more time. I just want to hang up my jersey before it's embarrassing."

　　You can read the full interview here.

　　Downey Jr.'s next appearance as Iron Man is in this week's Spider-Man: Homecoming. He will also be seen in the next two Avengers movies.

　　The last Iron Man movie was 2013's Iron Man 3, which made $1.2 billion globally at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo. In related news, Iron Man director Jon Favreau recently told Comic Book Movie that he can't imagine the Iron Man series moving forward with anyone other than Downey Jr. in the lead role.

　　Downey Jr. himself said in April 2016 that he would be up to make one more Iron Man movie.