The Avengers: Endgame trailer begins with Tony Stark contemplating his own imminent death on a ship that’s floating through space. Things look pretty bleak, too, as he’s already out of food and water and the oxygen’s going to be gone by the next morning. But unless Marvel’s hoping to make the film a downer the likes of which blockbuster cinema has never seen before, we don’t imagine it’ll have Tony Stark suffocating to death. That would be an unbelievable anticlimax for one of the most beloved heroes of the MCU, so we’re fairly certain that he’ll be rescued. We just don’t know how.
Of course, the fans have their theories and the most recent one says that Stan Lee may be involved in Iron Man’s rescue. The comic book legend who passed away last month will have a cameo in Endgame and though we haven’t been told the details of it just yet, some are speculating that it could involve helping out Tony.
We already know that Lee’s in contact with the Watchers, as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, so perhaps he could convince one of them to lend him a hand in saving Mr. Stark, seeing as they keep a watchful eye over the Multiverse anyways and likely know of his predicament. It’s an interesting idea, though perhaps not a very plausible one. At least, not as far as we see it. After all, with so much already going on in Endgame, we don’t imagine Marvel will be re-introducing the Watchers into the mix.
And so, with the studio keeping any and all plot details under lock and key, how exactly Iron Man returns to Earth remains the subject of much speculation and debate, with additional theories saying that everyone from Captain Marvel to Valkyrie to Pepper Potts in her new Rescue persona could be the one to save the day. Then again, Tony could always find a way of getting home himself. After all, he’s a pretty resourceful guy who once built a prototypical Iron Man suit in a cave.
Either way, we’ll find out how Mr. Stark makes his way back to Earth, and if his rescue in any way involves Stan Lee, when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th, 2019.
