Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo have debunked a fan theory claiming the movie’s memorable “I love you 3000” line was actually a reference to the combined 3000 minute runtime of all the MCU movies. The line “I love you 3000” was of course first uttered by Tony Stark’s daughter Morgan during a touching domestic scene in Endgame, and later took on greater poignancy when Stark’s hologram said the line back to Morgan during his funeral (Stark having sacrificed himself to save the universe from Thanos).
Since the movie’s release, Marvel fans have made “I love you 3000” into a meme commemorating the death of Iron Man, and honoring the end of the Infinity Saga portion of the MCU. But some Marvel fans actually think there’s a much deeper meaning behind “I love you 3000.” Specifically, they theorize that Kevin Feige, the Russo Brothers and company planted the line as an Easter egg in recognition of the rather obscure fact that when you add up the total runtime of all the MCU movies, including Spider-Man: Far From Home, it comes out to exactly 3000 minutes.
So was “I love you 3000” really the most incredible, long-planned Easter egg of all-time as some claim? As it turns out, the answer is no. As confirmed by Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo in an interview with Deco Drive, the whole thing is just a big, crazy coincidence. “We worked really hard to make sure. We’ve been planning that since Winter Soldier,” Joe Russo deadpanned, then said “No, that is absolutely coincidental. We’re not that smart.” Anthony Russo then added, “It’s hard enough to make these movies. Trying to hit a minute count like that seems off the mark.”
In fact, it was previously confirmed that “I love you 3000” was concocted by Robert Downey Jr. himself, inspired by something one of his children said to him in real life. Of course, fans love their theories, and in this case the theory seemed to carry some weight given the incredible coincidence of all the MCU movies adding up to 3000 minutes. But it turns out this Easter egg conspiracy was just that, a coincidence. Of course, there are plenty of real Easter eggs scattered throughout Avengers: Endgame, and fans will have another chance to find them this weekend when the movie returns to theaters with new footage added in hopes that it can scare up enough extra box office to surpass Avatar in worldwide grosses (as if the MCU hasn’t already made enough money).
Even if “I love you 3000” isn’t the most incredible long-game Easter egg of all-time, it remains a classic line, and no doubt Avengers: Endgame fans will be using it for a long time as they continue to mourn the death of Iron Man. The real origin of the line arguably makes a better story anyway, as it adds even one more level of emotional punch to the biggest death in recent movie history.
Source: Deco Drive
