Iron Man’s death is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s defining moments. After an intense battle with Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark realizes that his only option is to take the Infinity Stones and wipe out his enemies. The power of the gems is so intense that he essentially dies on the spot, only sticking around for a few moments to allow his loved ones to say goodbye. However, as Black Panther puts it, death isn’t the end in the MCU. Tony lives on through people like Peter Parker, who want to be every bit the hero his former mentor was, and Riri Williams, a genius engineer looking to one-up the greatest mind of her time.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Another way that the MCU will keep its most important character’s legacy alive is by putting his face on its newest Big Bad. Of course, Robert Downey Jr. is playing Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, which surely won’t be a coincidence once the movie starts. Doom’s appearance will shake Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to their core. But it might also be a jab at Tony himself because he utters a key line of dialogue that could explain the villain’s sudden interest in taking over the MCU.
Tony Stark Doesn’t Want to Mess With Time in Avengers: Endgame
Iron Man, Captain America, and the rest have to watch as a good number of their friends turn to dust in Avengers: Infinity War. After the initial shock and a few heated exchanges, they get back on the horse and hunt down Thanos. A sneak attack catches the Mad Titan off-guard, but he isn’t in fighting shape, having used the Infinity Stones a second time to destroy them. The Avengers can’t believe their eyes, and after taking out Thanos for good, they go their separate ways, coming to terms with the fact that the battle is over. It takes five years for a sliver of hope to arrive in the form of Scott Lang, who tells Cap and Black Widow about the mysteries of the Quantum Realm.
Believing they now possess the key to saving everyone, the group reaches out to Tony Stark. The retired hero rains on their parade by revealing that time travel using the Quantum Realm just isn’t feasible. Once they leave, he can’t help himself, though, working on a solution that gives the mission a slim chance of succeeding. Not long after, the team travels back to different points in time and collects the Infinity Stones. Smart Hulk does the honors by snapping his fingers and bringing everyone back. Unfortunately, the celebration doesn’t last long because Thanos’ variant attacks. At this point, Tony addresses the elephant in the room by saying, “When you mess with time, it tends to mess back.” Obviously, in that moment, he’s right, but his words might come back around in Doomsday.
Doctor Doom Could Be a Result of Tony’s Actions
Despite being the MCU’s next big villain, virtually nothing is known about Doctor Doom. He might hail from Earth-828, as he shows up there in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ post-credit scene. However, that’s only speculation at this point, since it’s clear his target is the multiverse, meaning he could be from just about any reality. One potential explanation is that his existence is a direct result of the Avengers’ actions in Endgame, with them potentially screwing with timelines so much that a villain with Iron Man’s face is born who wants to seek revenge.
That angle certainly fits with the rumor that Doom will come after the original Captain America once Doomsday kicks off. Since Iron Man is gone, Steve Rogers is the only one still around benefiting from messing with time. Maybe Doom will also blame the Time Variance Authority for not stepping in, which is how Loki finds himself in the middle of the action. While Doomsday‘s plot remains a mystery, there are enough breadcrumbs out there to start fleshing it out, as Marvel Studios isn’t exactly hiding the fact that Phase 3’s finale will be every bit as important to the end of the Multiverse Saga as any other project.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Warner Bros -
Image via New Line Cinema -
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures
