We've all heard wacky, philosophical interpretations of stories, such as The Rugrats Theory, in which The Rugrats are interpreted as a figment of Angelica's demonic and unimaginable imagination. It's all about perspective. So what if I told you I had a theory that would explain why Iron Man 3 was so tonally different from the previous films?
I imagine the story could be retold going something like this:
Post-Avengers. Tony sets up a one on one meeting with Bruce, perhaps one of the few people he can relate to and confide in.
TONY: Aliens, gods, monsters...All this stuff is really starting to get to me.
Tony explains a dream he had where all his stress is personified in his life falling apart in a conspiracy where the threat of the world is on his shoulders. No SHIELD, no Avengers, no suits...He alone must fix his mistakes. His own tech is being used against him for evil once again.
He needs a suit for every single situation because he feels responsible for ANY and ALL things that could happen! Except, none of them quite work properly; he can't handle the pressure. He attempts to reinvent himself as a person, depicted in his dream as going to home depot to reinvent his abilities from scratch.
His whole dream has the most intense conspiracy plotlines imaginable going on, yet somehow everything is a complete meaningless joke. This view of the world and its troubles has always been Tony's defense mechanism for dealing with serious hardships.
This terrorist/uber-bad guy who is "supposed" to be his Iron Man nemesis turns out to be no one at all, while the true bad guy is much more personal: A super over-the-top nerdy guy from his past (Or at least, this is how he remembers him) who he feels bad for screwing over as his old jerk self. This past regret/guilt is now out to get him, even LITERALLY blowing up his home, his only safe place.
Does he subconsciously feel he doesn't deserve his wealth and pampered lifestyle? Even his suits are attacking him, symbolic of his "Iron Man/celebrity Stark" persona being too much responsibility to live up to. His relationships are strained. Everywhere he goes, stupid people treat him like a celebrity, but none of them actually care about the real him.
His struggle for balancing his life and ego is personified in helping a genius kid achieve success and balance despite his parental abandonment issues, only he realizes...this kid is HIM! "Don't be a pussy kid. Grow up and get over it." This is what Stark tells himself any time he's feeling sad or unresolved about his life. He has to be the one always cool and in control. Perhaps he can find reconciliation if he confronts his inner child head on?
In the end, he must come to terms with the fact that he is Tony Stark, a person with troubles and insecurities just like everyone else. His wealth, status, his past, or even his persona as Iron Man do not define him. He must subconsciously let it all go to retain balance and organize the priorities of his life. It's okay to let others in to ask for help and share the burden. And most importantly of all, he would give it all up, even his suits, for the one he loves: Pepper, the true hero in his mind.
BRUCE: Man, that is one messed up dream. Too bad I'm not that kind of doctor.
TONY: Thanks anyway, buddy. I should probably cut down on the scotch before bed.
BRUCE: Yeah, well just don't go blowing up your suits for real.
TONY: Ha ha I know, right? Tha'd be ridiculous. Welp, back to work on my Hall of Armor!
Is this what the filmmakers actually intended for the movie? Probably not, but you can't blame a guy for dreaming. ...Or maybe it's just me still in denial? ;)
--Starjammer