Avengers: Endgame may have killed Iron Man - but it hasn't killed the MCU's dependence on Tony Stark's armor. Last year's Avengers: Endgame brought the story of Tony Stark to its logical conclusion. He had always been the MCU's most unlikely superhero, a billionaire weapons manufacturer who developed a conscience and created his greatest weapon of all to save the world.
In 2012's The Avengers, Steve Rogers accused Tony Stark of being out for himself. "You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play," he snapped. "To lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you." It didn't take long for Iron Man to prove him wrong, when he flew through a portal with a wayward nuclear missile. Years later, in a powerful moment of symmetry, Tony Stark sacrificed himself again - wielding the unfathomable power of the Infinity Gauntlet, snapping Thanos and his minions out of existence, and thereby saving all of creation.
It was a fitting end for Iron Man's story in the MCU. And yet, for all that's the case, Marvel shows no sign of losing their Iron Man obsession. At this point, the universe is too dependant on Stark's technology, and several characters are still using his armored suit.
Marvel Has Given Iron Man Armor To Other Avengers
It's interesting to note just how many superheroes are dependent on Iron Man's ingenious armor. War Machine - arguably now the most powerful Avenger due to his "Avengers: Infinity War, he donned Hulkbuster armor Tony Stark had been tinkering with for some years. Pepper Potts was able to participate in the final battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame because she'd had a special suit of armor constructed for her. And almost all Spider-Man costumes in the MCU to date have been designed with Stark-tech.
Looking at concept art, Marvel considered putting even more Avengers in armor; Doctor Strange almost suited up in the Mark 50 in Avengers: Infinity War, and artists sketched designs for Black Widow as well. While these would have been pretty cool, it's good they were dropped; Doctor Strange and Black Widow have their own aesthetic style, and enough heroes have suited up in Iron Man armor already.
The Iron Man Armors Have To Continue In Phase 4
Oddly enough, in narrative , the Iron Man armors will simply have to continue in the MCU's Phase 4 as well - even if they do have only a background presence. In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark attended a Senate committee where he watched footage showing the world was attempting to duplicate his success with the Iron Man armor. Other countries were already testing prototypes, although granted with little success; Stark estimated it would be five or ten years before most countries pulled it off. "Hammer Industries, twenty," he quipped.
Iron Man 2's precise placement in the timeline is a little uncertain, but one thing's for sure; as a result of Avengers: Endgame's five-year time-jump, the MCU is well past that point. Other nations of the world have inevitably developed their own Iron Man tech, and the shared universe will have to deal with the consequences.
Does Marvel Really Want To End Their Iron Man Obsession?
Of course, in reality, Marvel probably doesn't want to get over their Iron Man obsession. In creative , Iron Man armors serve as a reminder of how far the MCU has come, since those dawning days in 2008 when Marvel gambled on Ol' Shellhead. What's more, in financial , Iron Man is still a big performer; Iron Man's legacy will likely still draw in audiences worldwide even after Robert Downey Jr.'s departure.
What's more, Marvel make a lot through merchandise, and Iron Man action figures are tremendously popular; Marvel only chose Iron Man to kick off the MCU in the first place after kids indicated they'd love to play with Iron Man toys. There's no way Marvel will want to lose that, so more suits of armor are guaranteed for the future.
So, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe is moving on from Robert Downey Jr. and Tony Stark (Tony Stark essentially replaced Uncle Ben for Peter Parker in addition to providing him with all his technology.
Despite these criticisms, Marvel's approach has also been embraced by many, and like any live-action adaptation, it will stray from the comics, so it's only to be expected that a cinematic universe kickstarted by Iron Man will see his influence last long after he's gone.
