‘We Love You 3000’: Iron Man Fans Commemorate The Day Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark Dies In The MCU

I think it’s safe to say that one of the saddest and most heroic moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was when Iron Man died after defeating Thanos. After the Avengers went on quite the journey across time, the epic Endgame battle ended five years after the events of Infinity War with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark having the final word. He got the infinity stones, and snapped away the monster that caused half the universe’s population to disappear. However, he was also severely injured in the process, and tragically died. October 17, 2023, is the official date of Iron Man’s death in the MCU, and with that day in real life being today, fans are showing the superhero that they love him “3000.”

Whether you’ve seen all the Marvel movies in order or simply tuned in from time to time, I think Iron Man and Tony Stark managed to leave a mark on anyone who saw him on the screen. Robert Downey Jr. played the “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” with a lot of charisma and heart, and his character is the reason the MCU started. With that in mind, fans took to X to commemorate the beloved hero and his death. Using the sweet line from Endgame that was inspired by Downey and his kids, @kurtslimbean posted:

We also love Tony Stark “3000,” and dearly miss him.@raveeclissi had a similar thought as they uploaded this sweet in-memoriam post:

Losing Iron Man was truly one of the most heart-wrenching moments in MCU history, however, it was necessary. According to Endgame’s directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, Tony Stark’s death was destiny. The film's writers – Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, also said RDJ’s character had to die, explaining that it “legitimizes” the whole story. They also said it added an element of closure that was necessary for this ginormous plot they’d just tied up for the MCU.

With all this in mind, Kevin Feige said he wanted Tony Stark’s death to be as impactful as Wolverine's in Logan, and boy was it. Even though it’s never good to see a character you love die, it can make a story all the more meaningful, and that’s what happened with Iron Man in Endgame. With that in mind, many fans paid tribute to the lost hero. @TheCinsthetic posted:

Other fans looked back and reflected on some of the interactions Stark had right before he died. @cherrydayas showed some love for one of the saddest moments of the entire movie as they reposted Peter Parker’s goodbye to his mentor:

It’s honestly kind of crazy that it’s been almost five years since Avengers: Endgame came out. When the five-year time jump happened, it felt like that future was so far away. However, now it’s here, and I’m happy that people are honoring it and Iron Man through these loving posts. To round things out, @luvingdowney remembered Robert Downey Jr.’s superhero with screenshots from his final scene in the fourth Avengers film:

You know how people say “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” that’s what I’m trying to do as I read all these emotional tweets. Thinking back on Iron Man's start, and how he evolved into a selfless hero makes me emotional any day, but having today be the actual day he died in the MCU has me feeling all the feels.

While Iron Man might be gone, his legacy is still very much felt throughout the MCU today through upcoming Marvel projects, like Ironheart, and past films, like the last two Spider-Man movies that came out after Endgame. 

If you want to go back and watch some of the best Marvel movies that feature Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, including Avengers: Endgame, you can stream them all with a Disney+ subscription. Also, as we reflect on the iconic character’s death and legacy, we can look forward to the MCU’s future with Marvel's upcoming movies on the 2023 film schedule as The Marvels prepares to fly onto the big screen on November 10.