In the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, Iron Man has been one of the most important characters. His movie was the first to start the entire franchise and was the launching pad for all the other films to come since. While Iron Man might have died sacrificing himself in Avengers: Endgame, he’s still an extremely popular character.
Whether you love him or hate him, he’s definitely been influential in MCU movies, and he’s had some inspirational scenes as well as some depressing ones.
Inspirational: When he saved Manhattan in Avengers
While Endgame might have made it seem like Tony Stark wasn’t the hero most likely to sacrifice himself for others, the truth is that he proved he was willing to risk his life to save the world early on.
In the first Avengers movie, Iron Man was the one to fly the nuke up into space in order to save millions of people in Manhattan and the surrounding areas. He didn’t know if he would survive this, but he did so anyway. This was a big moment for his character who earlier on in the movie refused to be the person to make the “sacrifice play.”
Felt Sorry: When Captain America lied to him about his parents’ death
One of the most emotional moments for Tony Stark happened at the end of Captain America: Civil War. While Tony and Steve had always had a complicated relationship, it’s clear that Tony did trust Steve at that point and considered him a friend.
So, when he learned Steve knew his parents had been killed by HYDRA but that Steve didn’t tell him, he was understandably really hurt. Seeing Tony’s betrayal was definitely hard for many fans to watch.
Inspirational: Announcing that he was Iron Man
Of all the iconic Iron Man moments throughout the MCU, one of the best of them all happened at the end of Iron Man. This is the moment when Tony announced to the world that he was Iron Man.
It was an exciting moment that spoke to what was to come in the franchise. And, it made a lot of sense for his character. Tony is a rather flashy person who couldn’t keep that information secret for long, so it’s unsurprising he revealed the truth.
Felt Sorry: When he suffered from panic attacks and PTSD
While Tony Stark might seem on the surface like a confident, even cocky, and self-assured person, this isn’t really the case. Through his movies and the Avengers films, it’s clear that Tony has a lot of anxiety and self-doubt as well as a rather self-destructive side.
In Iron Man 3, Tony is suffering from PTSD after the events of the Avengers when he went through the wormhole. This made Tony seem very human, and it was a very realistic response to what he had been through.
Inspirational: Building the Avengers Compound
Tony Stark might not be a perfect person by any means, but he does care about his Avengers family. He is the one who seems the most invested in supporting them and giving them the tools they need to succeed.
Plus, he has the money and resources to do so. When Tony builds the Avengers Compound in upstate New York, he’s providing a place for all of the Avengers to work together and live, so they can be a team.
Felt Sorry: His devastation after the Avengers broke up
Given that Tony is one of the main heroes who is most attached to the friendships and family elements that the Avengers brought him, it’s not surprising that he took the events of Civil War especially hard.
Losing Captain America and having the Avengers split up and go their separate ways clearly upset him a lot. He seemed to feel that he had failed. Given that Tony struggles to have close relationships, it was especially hard to watch him cope with these events and feeling lonely once again.
Inspirational: When he tried to make up for all the damage from his weapons
Iron Man is a particularly complex and troubled superhero because of his past. At the start of his arc, he is a very selfish, vain, and careless person who is happy to profit off of selling Stark Industry weapons.
But, after suffering consequences for this himself and seeing the damage he was doing to the world, he spends much of the rest of his life trying to make up for it. When he lost Yinsen, it was an extremely sad moment, and it clearly really made Tony rethink everything about himself.
Felt Sorry: Having to watch Spider-Man turn to dust
Tony Stark clearly sees himself in Peter Parker from the moment he meets in. From then on, he wants to help him and be a mentor to him, and he grows to care a lot about him. So, when Peter is one of the people to get dusted after the Thanos snap, Tony is completely devastated.
He clearly feels a lot of guilt for what happened as he had feared Thanos’ arrival all along and wanted nothing more than to stop what he had seen in his visions.
Inspirational: When he snapped the Infinity Gauntlet and saved the universe
In many ways, Tony’s death in the MCU was a full-circle moment for the character. Just like at the end of Avengers, Tony in Endgame was willing to be the one to sacrifice his life to save millions of people.
But, this time, the stakes were even higher because it was the entire universe at stake. Also, Tony had a lot more to lose this time around personally, but he still did what he needed to do and was a true hero.
Felt Sorry: That he died while his daughter was still so young
One of the saddest things about the fact that Tony Stark died in the MCU was that he left behind a young daughter who he clearly adored. While in the past Tony was relatively unattached, he had a wife and daughter that loved him and he loved them back.
Seeing his daughter Morgan have to face the rest of her life without her dad was really heart-wrenching.