Tony Stark Dies Today in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline

Avengers: Endgame killed Tony Stark today in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. In 2019, this was the day the fictional Battle of Earth took place in upstate New York. As the heroes tried to defeat Thanos, Iron Man sacrificed himself to undo the snap and bring back half of the life in the universe. People might not be aware that October 17, 2023 is supposed to be the day of the event. Because of the time travel shenanigans, and the fact there's a five year time skip, we've finally reached the "present" of the MCU in the real world. Or rather, we've gotten closer to it because things have kept on moving since the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Thanos looked like he had The Avengers on the ropes as Act 3 of Avengers: Endgame began. First, he brought himself to the future from way earlier in the timeline. Then, he destroyed their base and summoned the full force of his army to Earth. It looked really bad for Earth's Mightiest Heroes as they got their trio of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor on the field to deal with the Mad Titan. As the conflict expanded, a lonely Steve Rogers stood in front of that massive army before heroes thought dead came through portals to support the Avengers. However, in the climax of the battle, Tony Stark was left with no choice but to sacrifice himself to save the world.

3 years ago, Tony Stark sacrificed himself to save the Universe pic.twitter.com/qBvcn76LSI

— Marvel Perfect Gifs & Clips (@MCUPerfectGifs) April 26, 2022

Will Iron Man Ever Return to The MCU?

Right now, Marvel Studios says it's not happening at all. But, the future is an uncertain place. That's something we've all learned in the last 5 years. Most fans believe this is basically a slam dunk as the big event to tie up The Multiverse Saga is Avengers: Secret Wars. In the comics, there are so many different variants, worlds and characters at play. So, it makes a lot of sense to bring the OG Avengers back together for one last ride. That's the future, but for now, former Marvel executive Victoria Alonso told Clarin that people need to move on for the moment.

"Tony Stark is dead," Alonso said back in 2020. "And that's our story. Resurrection I do not know, I do not know how we would do it. It seems to me that the story of Tony Stark is told by us. Hence, he has left his inheritance, who he is for example in Spider-Man, because Peter Parker has been a false son, so you see a lot of what Tony Stark would have been in Peter Parker. And it seems to me that you see that constantly in how one person influences the other. But no, at the moment we don't have any plans."

Does Robert Downey Jr. Want To Return?

In every interview given after his big departure in Avengers: Endgame, Robert Downey Jr. has been diplomatic about his experience with Marvel Studios. However, that doesn't mean he wants to come running back for just anything. Downey would command a truly awe-inspiring price tag. One that makes sense for a project like Avengers: Secret Wars. The actor told The Hindustan Times that he's done for now though and fans need to accept that reality. However, he never really says no to the future implications here either.

"Playing Tony/Iron Man was hard and I dug deep," Downey Jr. shared . "I had an incredible 10-year run that was creatively satisfying." The outlet would also asked if it was difficult to leave Tony behind after being in the suit for more than a decade. Downey said, "I've done all I could with that character and can do other things now. Now, being middle-aged, you start looking at the back nine and realize this is all part of the journey, and things end. I am fortunate and eternally grateful to have wound up where I have."

Are you going to celebrate today with an Avengers: Endgame rewatch? Let us know in the comments down below!