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Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the role of Victor von Doom a.k.a. Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Of course, the last time Downey appeared in an MCU flick, he was playing Iron Man, and the beloved hero sacrificed himself at the end of Avengers: Endgame. It’s a watershed moment in the continuity, but it turns out Stark's demise actually could’ve happened in a different movie. So, now, I have some questions following this major revelation.
Tony Stark’s Original Death Was To Happen In Another Massive MCU Film
Let’s be real, Downey’s Stark found himself in more than a few precarious situations throughout the Multiverse Saga, from his encounter with Obadiah Stane to the Avengers’ war with Ultron. However, the battle between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Thanos was particularly intense, and fans more than got a taste of that back in 2018 when Infinity War hit theaters. And, believe it or not, that’s the film co-director Joe Russo said was initially meant to feature Stark’s death, and he and Downey had a funny-back-and-forth about it:
- Joe Russo: This happens a lot in these rooms, right? We try to... I'm feeling the heat now. We try to investigate. We try to investigate all angles, right? Everything's up for grabs. We always say, ‘Best idea wins.’ And a lot of the times you gotta stretch…
- Robert Downey Jr.: It's mine.
- Russo: We have to stretch…
- Downey: Mine is just, ‘Don't kill me.’
Consider me pleasantly surprised by all this! The revelation, which was revealed during a sit-down interview held by CBR, coincided with the eighth anniversary of Infinity War’s release. It’s interesting to hear that Joe Russo and brother/co-director Anthony considered having Stark die in that particular movie, though I guess it tracks, considering there’s a scene in which Thanos stabs Tony through his armor only for him to survive. As for why the Russos eventually decided against it, Joe said:
We have to stretch the taffy a little bit, pull the taffy a little bit, stretch it, see where it goes. There was a moment where we thought, ‘They're not expecting it. This could be the best place to possibly do it.’ But then we'd have to figure out how he could potentially still participate in the next movie. And then we went, ‘Fuck it, let's just do it in the next movie.’
It sounds like it all came down to the Russos possibly being faced with the challenge of having to include Stark in Endgame posthumously. All in all, I’m glad they settled on their chosen direction, especially since it would’ve robbed us of Stark’s eventual sacrifice, but I still have some questions.
What Are Some Questions To Consider About This “What If” Scenario?
For starters, when exactly was Stark’s death going to take place in Infinity War? I mean, would it have been the moment he was stabbed by Thanos on Titan? Of course, there’s also the possibility that he could’ve died in a totally different way that might not have involved Thanos at all. I find it very interesting that Joe Russo doesn’t divulge any specifics, but that may be due to his desire to have fans speculate as I’m doing right now.
Something I also want to know is whether Robert Downey Jr. was aware of his character’s initial fate during the development process. And, if he knew, I’d love to know how he felt. It’s unclear based on this conversation, but I get the feeling Downey wouldn’t have been too pleased, considering the comments he’s sharing now.
Regardless of any of that, though, I’d say everything worked out just as it should’ve. And, in any case, Downey still has the opportunity to further spread his wings by way of his villainous character. I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall and watched Downey work on set. Here’s hoping that Doom’s introduction is glorious and that Tony Stark’s memory is preserved within the MCU amid his cohort’s latest battle.
Fans can check out Stark’s sacrifice by streaming Avengers: Endgame with a Disney+ subscription. Also, see Robert Downey Jr. return in Avengers: Doomsday, which opens in theaters on December 18 amid the 2026 movie schedule.
