Avengers: Endgame Alternate Ending Featured Iron Man’s Survival

Avengers: Endgame is the highest grossing movie of all time now, and a lot of that stems from being the conclusion of a decades long story and part of that is how it was able to heroically send off some of its fan-favorite characters. Ahead of the awards season push, we know Marvel Studios will try and get some recognition for Robert Downey Jr. as the late Tony Stark, whose final moments solidified his eleven year tenure as the shell head on the big screen. How would that conversation be if Stark hadn't died and a return for Downey was still on the table though? New concept art for Endgame seemingly reveals that was a possibility at one point.

In the pages of Avengers: Endgame - The Art of the Movie, a different version of one of the final scenes appears, namely Steve Rogers preparing to travel back in time once again to return the Infinity Stones. On the platform to send Steve back in time is none other than Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark instead of Bruce Banner/Hulk. Even Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson are nowhere to be seen in the concept art for the sequence.

There's also the possibility that this art was created in an attempt to preserve the secret of Tony's fate, as it was previously revealed that the ending for Endgame was written before Captain America: Civil War was even released in theaters. Given the intense secrecy around the Avengers movie, and at Marvel Studios in general, it's certainly possible that this was done to keep the lid on Iron Man's ending instead of being an actual alternate ending.

Avengers: Endgame is streaming now on Disney+. Avengers: Endgame - The Art of the Movie out now and can be purchased by clicking here.

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall of 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios has yet to set release dates for its theatrical releases in Ant-Man 3 and Blade or the Disney+ shows consisting of Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.