The Death Of Iron Man
If there was one thing we were going into Endgame expecting it was for either Iron Man or Captain America to die. We didn’t want it to happen, but it seemed to make dramatic sense that one of the two had to bow out for the movie to properly put a bow on the first decade of the MCU.
By that logic, we really should have narrowed it down to Stark, the father of the franchise, to be the one to bite the bullet – or snap the gauntlet, in this case – as his death completely brings the franchise full circle. But we didn’t, or at least we did but still weren’t emotionally ready for it, which is why it came as such a kick in the teeth when Tony perished after using the Infinity Stones to turn Thanos and his forces to dust.
The low-key way in which it happens, as the dying Tony is surrounded by his wife, best pal and his surrogate son – he dies in Spidey’s arms, reversing the IW situation – is so powerful you can’t fail to be a wreck by the end of it. He might be gone, but he’ll always be Iron Man.
Old Man Steve And The New Captain America
With Tony gone, Endgame had still to wrap up Cap’s story and, having ripped out our hearts with Iron Man, it decided to give Steve a happy ending instead. When he goes back in time to replace the Infinity Stones they took from the past, Steve is revealed to have stayed in the past to live out a normal life married to Peggy Carter. Sam Wilson and Bucky find out the truth when they discover an elderly Steve sitting by a lake.
This was a fairly common theory fans had come up with before Endgame but seeing it play out was still a hard pill to swallow as it spelled the end of the other of the MCU’s biggest heroes. Plus, it was extra surprising as it seems like a big ol’ plot hole that Old Man Cap would be in this timeline after he went back and changed his life. Thankfully, the Russos have cleared this one up by explaining that he hopped over to the prime universe prior to this scene.
Things get even more shocking though when Steve hands his shield over to Sam, inviting him to take on the mantle of Captain America in his stead. For years, we’ve all been expecting Bucky to replace his best buddy, so it was a surprise to see Cap’s only choice for his successor be Sam. But it does fit with the more recent comics and it’s probably a good move. Although, we don’t know if or when we’ll get to see Sam’s Cap, as the upcoming Falcon and Winter Soldier TV show appears to be yet another prequel.