Iron Man is the movie that started it all in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If there is one thing the MCU proved, it was how it could develop a character and the journey Tony Stark took from the first movie in his series to his death in the last Avengers movie was drastic. Much of that was because of his relationships that were built over that time.
In the first movie, Tony Stark was a bachelor and a womanizer who cared more about himself than anyone else. However, by the time the trilogy ended, Tony was a man with one true love and at least two close relationships with the men in his life. Iron Man didn't become the hero who would save the world on his own.
Happy Hogan And Natasha Romanoff
In Iron Man 2, there was a very interesting relationship between Tony Stark's most loyal friend Happy Hogan and the woman sent in to infiltrate Stark Industries and keep an eye on Tony, Natasha Romanoff. This all started in the boxing ring when Natasha took down Happy.
However, the two really developed a connection when they showed up to help Tony in his battle with Justin Hammer. While Happy only took down one man, and the Black Widow roared relentlessly through the rest, the two were a great team.
Tony Stark And Maya Hansen
In Iron Man 3, fans got a look at Tony Stark at his worst. It was scenes from his past where he didn't respect the women he dated and he gave even less respect to those that he considered below him. This was especially shown when Aldrich Killian tried to talk to Tony and was shaken off.
At that time, Tony was with Maya Hansen, someone that he barely remembered years later. That makes her betraying him and joining up with Aldrich seem to be something Stark deserved.
Tony Stark And Nick Fury
The first Iron Man movie had the first post-credit scene in MCU history. In that scene, Tony Stark goes home and finds a stranger waiting for him in the dark. That man was Nick Fury in his first MCU appearance, and he was there to tell Tony about the Avengers Initiative.
From that moment on, Tony and Nick were connected. In the second Iron Man movie, Stark proved he didn't trust Iron Man completely when he sent in a spy in Black Widow. However, the two were mostly on the same page up to the formation of The Avengers.
Tony Stark And Natasha Romanoff
In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark hired a new assistant in Natasha Romanoff. While Pepper Potts didn't seem ready for this, she soon accepted the new girl, who then stepped up and wouldn't let Tony or Happy Hogan diminish her worth.
Since Stark didn't know who she really was, he tried to move in and hit on her, and she let him believe he had a chance. Of course, this was the Black Widow and the two transitioned from Tony wished was a romantic relationship into one of two teammates who saved the world more than once.
Phil Coulson And Pepper Potts
One of the fun, lighthearted relationships in the Iron Man trilogy was between Agent Phil Coulson and Pepper Potts. While Tony and Pepper weren't dating at the time, Tony still had a bit of jealousy whenever Coulson and Pepper were together.
While this was completely innocent for Coulson, it was clear that Pepper, as one of the most intelligent characters in the Iron Man trilogy, enjoyed making Tony uncomfortable and it was clear that Pepper and Coulson shared some interesting conversations behind the scenes that made them close friends.
Nick Fury And Natasha Romanoff
Nick Fury is the man who sent Natasha Romanoff undercover to work at Stark International. Fury didn't trust Tony's impulsiveness, and he had a good reason to want someone there to watch over Iron Man. Fury clearly trusted Natasha, which spoke wonders since she was a Soviet defector.
The two worked closely together with Tony Stark as someone they needed to keep control of. When Nick seemed to die in the Captain America trilogy, Natasha took it harder than almost anyone, showing how close the two really were.
Tony Stark And J.A.R.V.I.S.
It might seem strange to consider it an actual relationship, but Tony Stark's relationship with his AI was a deeper connection than what he had with most humans. Tony named J.A.R.V.I.S. after his father's butler who was there for Tony when he was a child.
Tony always looked to J.A.R.V.I.S. for advice, showing how important he considered his AI system. While he lost this system to the Vision, Tony lost one of his closest allies. It was one he tried to replace but he never found a true replacement.
Tony Stark And James Rhodes
Tony Stark had one man that he stood by and fought with that he considered a close friend and ally. The best relationship that Iron Man had with anyone in the superhero world was with James Rhodes. What made this relationship so strong was that James would stand up to his friend.
James Rhodes fought against Tony Stark when he let his arrogance lead him on a self-destructive path in Iron Man 2. He fought by his side when Iron Man battled Captain America in Civil War. In the end, the two were so close that it was War Machine that would replace Iron Man in the MCU.
Tony Stark And Happy Hogan
Tony Stark had one many who had his back every step of the way. While Tony often considered Happy Hogan as an employee and he would often talk down to Happy, this was almost a game between the two, and they had the closest relationship of anyone in the Iron Man movies.
Happy Hogan was there to stand up for his boss anytime he needed help. He was there to fight with him and fight for him. He almost died for Tony Stark, and when Iron Man sacrificed himself, Happy Hogan took it harder than anyone.
Tony Stark And Pepper Potts
The best relationship that Tony Stark had in the Iron Man trilogy was also one of the best relationships in the MCU. Tony Stark and Pepper Potts seemed destined for each other and were meant to be. In the first movie, Pepper was an employee, but she was the one who ran Tony's business while he was playing superhero.
By the third movie, the two were in a romantic relationship and were on the verge of taking the next step. The fact they got engaged in Spider-Man: Homecoming and had a child by Avengers: Endgame meant that this was the relationship that carried Iron Man from the beginning to the end.