Tony Stark's funeral in Avengers: Endgame was called "The Wedding" so as not to reveal any spoilers, directors Joe and Anthony Russo reveal. All pockets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe gather to fight Thanos in the epic final action set piece for Avengers 4. But fans have had a better perspective of how massive the universe has become since it first started in 2008 as every major character in the franchise pay their last respects to Iron Man, who died in order to ensure the future of the universe that was once again threatened by the Mad Titan. The scene was a major plot point for the film's narrative, and to preserve the secrecy of it, the filmmakers decided to give it an unusual code name.
With Endgame the culmination of MCU's The Infinity Saga, it was only apt that it also wrapped its inaugural hero's story, and throughout the film, there's a slew of callbacks from Iron Man's overall journey in the film series. Avengers 4 tied loose plot threads with Stark including him having the closure he needed with his dad, Howard Stark. So while his death is one of the saddest moments in the franchise, it was a satisfying way to cap off his journey that fits perfectly with his arc. But apparently, the actors who filmed the sequence weren't aware of what exactly they were working on as the Russos and Kevin Feige only referred to the scene as "The Wedding."
Speaking with EW Radio about all things Endgame, the directors were asked about what it was like to be on set that day when they shot the star-studded scene. And while one would imagine that it would be a great moment for everyone to mingle with each other, it was difficult for the Russos since they were deceiving their actors for the sake of the film. Apparently, the scene was called "The Wedding" on the call sheet, and in fact, "nobody ever used the word funeral" when referring to it.
"It was an interesting day because getting all of those actors together at one level is very celebratory and joyful but it was for a difficult reason in this scene. And also, the story point in the scene was one of the biggest secrets in the movie so we had to be very, very quiet about it."
"90 percent of those actors showed up and they had no idea what they were doing. They thought they were there for the wedding, so we had to tell them 'Here's what's happening in the story...' because again, we're just trying to protect information. People that don't have information, it makes it easier for them to not spill the beans accidentally."
The Russos' claim checks out with previous comments from Sebastian Stan who was doing an interview shortly after Endgame hit theaters where he said they were informed that they're filming a wedding scene. But when they got there, he was wondering why there were two people who were not around. It's safe to assume that these two people are Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, who plays Black Widow, whose characters have died prior. In a separate interview with Feige, he revealed that they filmed the scene two years ago - even before Ant-Man & The Wasp came out, which understandably confused some cast members when they saw Michelle Pfeiffer who plays Janet van Dyne on set. The actors may have very well been poised to film a wedding scene considering that Tony and Pepper were planning their wedding in Infinity War, not to mention that everyone was dressed formally.
In the end, the scene played out beautifully as it highlights just how much the MCU has grown since Iron Man. Narratively, all heroes converging in this one event means that everyone sort of have an idea that other heroes exist. Marvel Studios have yet to announce any ensemble film, but with considering what they did with Avengers: Endgame, they have their work cut for him to be able to deliver something that's remotely similar with their latest flick.
Source: EW Radio
