Summary

• Tony Stark has a knack for giving clever and sometimes biting nicknames to his fellow Avengers, using pop culture references to hit them where it hurts.
• From calling Trevor Slattery "Ringo" to dubbing Ultron "Junior," Stark's nicknames reveal his sarcastic nature and highlight the similarities between himself and these characters.
• Stark's nicknames not only provide comic relief but also deepen the dynamic between characters, such as his playful banter with Spider-Man and his unexpected friendship with Nebula.

There’s a lot that MCU installments without the beloved Marvel hero.

Rather than refer to his enemies and fellow Avengers by their actual names, Tony Stark would often cut right to their core with a poignant pop culture reference. Throughout his many appearances in the MCU timeline, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man has been nothing short of a quip-master. He's also great with bestowing tongue-in-cheek monikers upon his peers, as some of Tony Stark nicknames have the power to sting the MCU's heroes and villains alike.

"Ringo" For Trevor Slattery

Iron Man 3

Stark calls Trevor Slattery, AKA the fake Mandarin, several names throughout the runtime of Iron Man 3. These include "Sir Laurence Olivier" and "Meryl Streep," which focus on Slattery's pseudo-profession as an actor, though he's not in the same league as those two acting legends.

He also calls Slattery "Ringo," which is a reference to the Beatles member that is traditionally joked about as being the least popular member of the group. Like Starr, Slattery also has a thick Liverpudlian accent, and it goes a long way to making the nickname work as well as the character, especially in his appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

"Junior" For Ultron

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

An almost aggressive arrogance is an unmistakable Tony Stark trait and Ultron could not be more indicative of it. This is even conveyed in a single word: "Junior." Ultron is spouting intimidating dialogue, speaking of how he'll make things better, but really, he's trying to take over the world. Then, from behind him, Stark decreases his thrusters and lands with "Aw, junior. You're gonna break your old man's heart." Ultron is the version of Stark that goes off the rails and referring to him as a son sheds light on their similarities.

"Spider-Boy" For Spider-Man

Captain America: Civil War

Stark's Avengers nicknames are best when they're directed towards new . His dialogue with Peter Parker produces some of the great quotes that prove Iron Man is the best Avenger in the MCU. When audiences are first introduced to Parker and Aunt May, it's in a relatively small apartment. Then, Stark and Parker go to his even smaller, cluttered bedroom. While Parker is having this familiar stranger poke around his things, a raggedy suit falls down. Stark asks what Parker is calling himself, "Spider-Boy?" Parker timidly replies that he's a man, not a boy. It's a great moment and serves for a laugh just as much as it serves to quickly deepen the two characters' dynamic.

"Ratchet" For Rocket

Avengers: Endgame

Of the Marvel nicknames, Stark's name for Ratchet in Avengers: Endgame is probably the most humorous for gamers. It's a play on the titular main character of the Sony Ratchet & Clank series, most of which are as innovative and entertaining as Endgame.

In those games, Ratchet is what's known as a Lombax: a furry, friendly alien creature with a quick wit. Stark's comparison between Rocket and Ratchet makes sense, given their shared love of gadgets and weapons. Not to mention the fact that their names are extremely similar, making this nickname a winner.

"Thumbelina" For Ant-Man

Avengers: Endgame

Of the Tony Stark nicknames, "Thumbelina" is probably the best example of cross-promotion. Thumbelina is an animated movie from the '90s written and directed by former Disney employee and long-time competitor, Don Bluth. When Disney+ became a streaming giant, Thumbelina was added to their library. This bit of rights and distribution history makes Stark's Ant-Man-directed quip extra layered.

"Triple Imposter" For Black Widow

Iron Man 2

Tony Stark first meets Natasha Romanoff when she's hired to his team in Iron Man 2. It's revealed later in the movie that Romanoff is a S.H.I.E.L.D agent and has been working undercover to make sure that Stark is safe and stays in line. Stark was shocked and upset that S.H.I.E.L.D was keeping tabs on him and that he didn't suspect that Romanoff was an agent at all. It's not his most clever nickname, which is what makes it funnier when it's revealed and he's not even sure what to say, so he goes with calling her a triple imposter.

"Reindeer Games" For Loki

The Avengers

Tony Stark calls Loki "Reindeer Games" in the first movie when he first meets him. Although Stark is probably referring to the less-than-stellar movie starring Charlize Theron and Ben Affleck, it's more about Loki's appearance. The first time they meet, Loki has his helmet on with the elongated horns that Stark targets as a part of his wardrobe he can poke fun at by comparing him to a reindeer. It also refers to the fact that Loki is bullying people in the streets in Avengers as reindeer games is also an expression.

"Point Break" For Thor

The Avengers

Tony Stark gives the God of Thunder Thor multiple nicknames throughout the MCU but one of the most memorable ones is when Stark called him "Point Break" in the first Avengers movie and kept bringing it up throughout other movies. Why is Thor called Point Break? Stark calls him this to reference Patrick Swayze's long blonde-haired character Bodhi in the movie of the same name.

"Forehead Of Security" For Happy Hogan

Iron Man 3

In Iron Man 3 Happy is promoted to Tony Stark's head of security and Tony is immediately annoyed by how thorough he is. It's in character, as Tony is usually annoyed with detailed bureaucracy and rules because he wants to do whatever he wants. Happy is overzealous in his new position and views everyone as a threat and Tony quickly gives him this nickname.

"Jolly Green" For Hulk

Avengers: Endgame

In Avengers: Endgame, Bruce Banner has struck a balance between his two personas as he's able to be Hulk with Banner's more calm nature and smarts. When Tony returns and sees the changed Bruce he calls him "Jolly Green." It's a great new nickname for him referring to the "Jolly Green Giant" as he's still a Green Giant as Hulk, but he has Bruce's more jolly demeanor.