Robert Downey Jr.’s genius billionaire playboy philanthropist may have failed to make it out of the Infinity Saga alive, but fans are wondering how the Marvel Cinematic Universe could have turned out if Iron Man had failed to even make it past the end of Phase One, and succumbed to being trapped in the vast nothingness of outer space at the end of The Avengers.
Tony Stark saw a world beyond our own for the first time, and it went on to inspire both his best and worst decisions over the next seven years of storytelling. Had he not survived, though, then the ripple effects that would have caused chaos throughout the entire MCU are fascinating to think about.
The top-voted comment points out that without him, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would have nobody with the funds of technical capabilities to bankroll and fund the entire operation, which could in turn send the Avengers off into the altogether shadier arms of either the United States government or even Justin Hammer.
Another curious theory posits that the super-team would end up working as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as opposed to their own elite-level force, which would ultimately negate the need for the Sokovia Accords in the long run, but also present restrictions and oversight that would have hampered their efforts to maintain the safety of the planet.
There’s an entire TV series dedicated to solving the great “what ifs” of the MCU, but this is one that definitely generates plenty of potentially game-changing consequences.
Published: Jul 15, 2022 11:43 am