The Infinity Saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe heavily featured Iron Man, and his popularity saw him become one of the franchise’s most beloved heroes. As the first hero introduced into the movies of the MCU, Iron Man played a huge part in establishing the franchise and making its shared universe connections. This continued in subsequent movies, with the hero appearing both alone and alongside other characters, making him a central figure in the MCU. Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the hero also saw Iron Man become one of Marvel’s most popular characters, despite him being a relatively unknown hero before he appeared in the MCU.
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As well as starring in his own movies, a prominent role in every Avengers movie in the MCU cemented Iron Man’s status as one of the most important heroes in the franchise. His character arc remains one of the MCU’s most popular, as he was shown to evolve considerably on both a heroic and personal level throughout his story. There are a handful of key scenes in which this is clearly shown, with moments that define the character as he is portrayed in the MCU.
7) Fighting The Black Order – Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War began with Thanos’ lieutenants attacking Earth, prompting Tony Stark to roll out an Iron Man upgrade to battle the Black Order. After being bested by the aliens and seeing them capture Doctor Strange, Iron Man instinctively flies after them, boarding their ship and heading on an impromptu journey into space. Sees the hero blindly leap into action to protect a fellow Avenger at his own risk perfectly sums up Iron Man as a character, especially as his Infinity Saga story started to come to and end.
6) Lecturing Peter Parker – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Though it’s far from the most memorable Iron Man MCU scene, his brief appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming saw him lecture Tom Holland’s Peter Parker about responsibility. The scene defines Iron Man in the MCU by perfectly summing up his role as a mentor to Spider-Man, acting as a father figure even against his own reckless nature. It shows not only how much Stark cares for Peter Parker, but also how he hopes to shape the future of the Avengers.
5) Destroying His Suits – Iron Man 3 (2013)
Iron Man 3 was the character’s last solo movie in the franchise, and it saw the hero destroy his collection of Iron Man armor. As part of the climactic battle with Aldrich Killian, Stark rescues Pepper Potts with the help of his Iron Legion. Announcing his devotion to Pepper, Tony calls for the destruction of his suits, and it’s subtly one of the character’s defining moments. It’s the perfect representation of Stark’s willingness to try to better himself, even if that means giving up the things that he felt made him great in the first place.
4) Signing The Sokovia Accords – Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War saw the MCU’s heroes face an impossible decision: whether or not to sign the Sokovia Accords, which would require them to register as government assets. Tony Stark was the loudest proponent for signing the Accords, and the scene in which he announces his intention is one of his defining MCU moments. It marks the moment that the character shifted from a hot-headed and self-assured genius to a conscious leader, pursuing what he believed was right, no matter how difficult it may seem.
3) Flying Into A Wormhole – The Avengers (2012)
The last movie of the MCU’s Phase 1 introduced the Avengers, and it also established Iron Man as one of the team’s most important leaders. The Battle of New York nearly ended with a nuclear strike on the city, but Iron Man took it upon himself to guide the missile into the wormhole. It’s the first time Iron Man truly put his own life on the line for the greater good, making it a defining moment for the hero.
2) Announcing Himself To The World – Iron Man (2008)
2008’s Iron Man is one of the most influential Marvel movies, and its final scene before the credits remains one of the most definitive moments of Iron Man’s MCU tenure. Discarding his prepared speech, Tony Stark simply announces himself to the world as Iron Man in a brilliant piece of improvisation from Robert Downey Jr. The moment has come to define both Iron Man as a character and the wider MCU, establishing the character’s bravado while also setting up a franchise unafraid to make unexpected alterations to the stories of the comics.
1) Making The Ultimate Sacrifice – Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Iron Man is one of the few MCU characters to have held all six Infinity Stones, and it led to one of the most iconic moments in superhero cinema. During the Battle of Earth, it seemed that Thanos would once again beat the Avengers, until a resourceful Tony Stark revealed he had managed to steal the Stones from under the Mad Titan’s nose. His heroic sacrifice, made to stop Thanos, remains one of the most important moments in the MCU, and has also come to define the hero’s entire character arc with a poignant and selfless ending.
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Image courtesy of Paramount+
