Iron Man was the original star of the MCU, and in all likelihood, the hero will be making his exit with Avengers: Endgame. Of course, directors Anthony and Joe Russo remain reluctant to confirm whether or not this is the case, but they have shared a few vague thoughts on what’s in store for Tony Stark’s presumed final outing.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, Joe Russo explained how they try to make each conflict personal for the character, using Captain America as an example.
“All heroes are made complicated by the circumstances in their life, right?” Russo said. “Captain America and Winter Solder in Civil War… the essential nature of his conflict is he was created by his country, and what happens when he stops trusting his country? He’s gone from a patriot to an insurgent. That’s as full of an arc as you could possibly give a character.”
With that in mind, Joe Russo went on to argue that the key to a compelling arc for Iron Man is his family.
“Tony is essentially an egoist, and what is the essential conflict for an egoist?” Russo said. “Is it about what the egoist wants, or is it about subjugating the ego to what others may want from them? And family is really the most essential way to get to that conflict with Tony.”
To a large extent, the Russo Brothers have taken the reins on Tony’s story since Captain America: Civil War. While the 2016 film saw the hero’s late parents play a central role in his story, the subsequent Avengers: Infinity War placed more emphasis on his relationship with Pepper Potts and their desire to have a child.
What’s more, if the first Endgame trailer and a pretty big spoiler dropped by Gwyneth Paltrow last year are anything to go by, then the theme of family will remain important to Tony’s arc in Endgame. But whatever’s next for Iron Man, Anthony Russo has implied that the hero will continue to grow and change in the upcoming flick.
“We’re always looking for the most epic journey we can take the characters on,” Russo remarked. “Often that means, whether it’s Cap or Tony, taking them as far away from where they started as possible.”
Speaking of being far away, various trailers for Avenges: Endgame have teased a scene where Tony Stark is stranded in space, and on the verge of running out of oxygen. The clip has caused much speculation and debate on how exactly Iron Man makes it back to Earth, but our answer will finally arrive when the film hits theaters on April 26th.
