Not only was Avengers: Endgame a beautiful finale to the most epic cinematic journey of our time, but the ending of the movie itself was pretty masterful. It, along with Spider-Man: Far From Home, neatly wrapped up 11 years and 23 films. But why didn’t Tony Stark have any memorable final words in the moments before he slipped away? Well, it turns out Robert Downey Jr. had everything to do with that.
Don’t get us wrong. Tony ending his journey as Iron Man the same way he began was brilliant. And the fact that the line was a last minute addition makes it all that more awesome. But Stark’s “Hey, Pep” are hardly some memorable, world-changing last words. Unless you’re Pepper Potts, I guess.
Having played the role for over a decade, it turns out RDJ knew what he was doing when he pushed for as little dialogue as possible during Stark’s dying moments. Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely spoke a bit about the film at this year’s SDCC and they gave us some insight into the movie’s ending:
“…these actors have spent a lot of time with these characters. So Chris and I are very happy, and did, to write all sorts of lovely dying words for Tony Stark. Robert is not happy to say them, right? Robert wants to — and knew this instinctively — a guy who has talked and talked and talked for many, many movies, when he doesn’t talk, you are crushed.”
RDJ let them know he wanted Iron Man to say as little as possible in the end, knowing full well that less was more. In fact, originally, there was actually much, much less. As in nothing. It was editor Jeff Ford who suggested they come full circle and end it like they began it, with those four little words – “I am Iron Man” – and the rest is history. Or at least until the multiverse comes along and rewrites it.
Tell us, though, would you have had the ending any other way? Sound off in the comments section below and get ready to purchase Avengers: Endgame when it comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 13th.
