Tony Stark’s unconventional hero’s journey has been one of the most interesting parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His introduction in 2008’s Iron Man showed how a selfish weapons mogul can turn into a hero who is prepared to sacrifice everything.
Since then, the character has been through a lot. Tony has dealt with alcoholism, PTSD and his own mortality, so we’ve seen the invincible Iron Man brought down to a deeply human level over the last ten years. Since he became a superhero, Stark’s goal has been to protect the people he puts in harm’s way. This idea reached a new level in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where building a shield around the Earth ended up backfiring in the worst possible way.
Tony’s actions have repeatedly put people in danger, despite his seemingly heroic intentions. After the events of Ultron, his support of the Sokovia Accords and the limitations on the Avengers seemed to represent him accepting his own failures. However, this only resulted in the team being severely fractured to the point where the planet is particularly vulnerable to an attack.
So where does this leave the character heading into Avengers: Infinity War? Well, since it seems like a lot of superheroes are going to bite the dust in the upcoming summer blockbuster, there is reason to believe that Tony Stark could be one of them. First of all, the existence of the Time Stone and Soul Stone might let some characters get killed off only to see them return in the next Avengers film. This should make us suspicious about any death that might happen in the movie.
However, the MCU has lead us to a point where it would actually make sense to kill off the franchise’s first, and arguably still most popular, character. Since Stark’s reckless actions have led to some of the most cataclysmic events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, giving him a chance to redeem himself by heroically dying in the fight against Thanos make a lot of sense.
This would not be an easy feat to pull off, as the death of a character as significant as Iron Man would need to be emotionally satisfying for fans. This kind of thing needs to be handled delicately to prevent all hell breaking loose on the internet (e.g. Star Wars: The Last Jedi).
A sacrifice would be the safest way to kill Iron Man, with him providing a necessary spark that turns the tide in the final battle. Of course, with so much secrecy surrounding Avengers 4, it’s possible this might happen in that film instead. Thanos is not likely to be a one-off villain since the MCU has been teasing him for the last six years.
While it might seem like a crazy idea to kill one of the franchise’s most profitable characters, killing Tony Stark doesn’t mean Iron Man will not return to the big screen. Since Ty Simpkins from Iron Man 3 is set to make an appearance in Avengers 4, it’s possible that the teen could end up carrying the torch for his friend Tony. Marvel could also introduce Riri Williams or several other characters that could become the new Iron Man.
What do you think about Tony Stark potentially dying in a future MCU film? Comment below!