Iron Man was the superhero that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turned it into a box office powerhouse. This was a superhero that few non-comic book fans had heard of before this, but thanks to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, he ended up as the heart and soul of the MCU. He also was the most rebellious character in the Avengers, making him even more popular.
Tony Stark spent much of his time in the movies refusing to fall in line. While he ended up siding with the government in Captain America: Civil War, most of his career involved doing things his way, no matter what anyone else thought, often to his own detriment.
He Refused To Work With Nick Fury
In Iron Man 2, Nick Fury came calling. While the two met in one of Fury's best MCU scenes in the post-credits scene of the first Iron Man movie, it was in the second film where they developed a slightly antagonistic relationship. Tony Stark already proved difficult in playing with others, and Fury was no different.
When Fury admitted that S.H.I.E.L.D. was interested in working with Iron Man, Stark wanted nothing to do with it. Even when he learned Black Widow was a spy sent to watch him, he was still rebelling against all authority figures. Fury paid this act of rebellion back when he told Stark he was interested in Iron Man, but not Tony himself.
He Quit Being Iron Man After The Snap
Sometimes, it is time to quit. Tony Stark already quit once, when he destroyed all his armor and agreed to stop his superhero career to settle down with Pepper Potts. However, that didn’t last because he would always return to fight again.
However, in Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man quit completely. Tony chose his family over the Avengers after Thanos snapped everyone out of existence. He turned his back on the world and focused only on the two people he loved the most. It was more definitive than just not wanting to work for Fury, but done from a place of love.
He Created The Ultron Offensive
When Iron Man almost died saving the world in the Battle of New York in the first Avengers movie, it shook Tony Stark to his core. He realized that everything that he knew about science and the universe was shortsighted and he wanted to protect the world.
Stark teamed with fellow scientist Bruce Banner to create the Ultron Offensive. This was an AI system that could protect the world from the unknown and he built it with an Infinity Stone. It was mostly unethical and this act of rebellion backfired on the world when Ultron launched and attempted to destroy humanity to save the planet. Stark wanted to help, but his own arrogance overshadowed the decision.
He Fought In The Civil War
Rebelling isn’t always about going against authority. For years, Tony Stark refused to fall in line with the government or military on anything, but when a woman showed him how many people Sokovia affected, Stark changed. Here, he rebelled against his fellow superheroes.
Tony Stark wanted all heroes to register their identities with the government and basically become government employees. The Sokovia Accords came from a good idea, but this was also something Stark never would have done before, allowing someone like Thunderbolt Ross to become his boss. It started a superhero Civil War, which destroyed the Avengers.
He Fought Back Against The Terrorists
The first Iron Man movie showed Tony Stark at his most rebellious. He opened the movie as an arrogant yet charismatic inventor. However, throughout the movie, Stark changed into one of MCU’s greatest heroes. It all started with him refusing to bow down to anyone.
Terrorists captured and almost killed Stark. They demanded he build a weapon for them at the threat of death if he refused. Stark’s rebellious nature kicked in and he created his own weapon to fight back, proving that no one could control him. This was an act of rebellion that made Iron Man a hero.
He Was Thrill Seeking And Dangerous In Iron Man 2
Iron Man was a worldwide sensation by Iron Man 2, and Tony let the success go to his head. Tony Stark had an addictive personality in the comics, and the MCU came closest to showing that in this second outing. Stark showboated, partied excessively, and showed his irresponsible and reckless side.
This was the rebellion of a man who found celebrity as a superhero and responded in the worst way possible. When Iron Man became most selfish and self-absorbed, his best friend James Rhodes fought to bring him back. This was a life-altering act of rebellion that almost destroyed the hero's reputation.
He Quit Building Weapons For Government
When Iron Man started, Tony Stark was a weapons manufacturer, running his father’s old business and selling weapons to the government. However, when terrorists kidnapped him, he realized his company also sold weapons to the enemy. He became Iron Man and made a serious change.
Stark rebelled against his own company, making the executive decision to stop developing weapons for anyone. This made him an enemy in his dad’s old partner Obadiah Stane and soured his relationship with the U.S. government, which relied on his weapons. Stark could have lost everything here but proved his morals were more important.
He Gave The Mandarin His Address
There are some acts of rebellion by Tony Stark that are just foolish and childish behavior. This happened in Iron Man 3. In this movie, Tony Stark had grown bold. He proved he could defeat major villains, and after overcoming his selfishness in Iron Man 2, he had possibly grown too bold.
The Mandarin was the new villain in the movie and made several threats to Stark. Possibly believing himself above the new villain, Stark showed his rebellious streak by giving Mandarin his address live on TV. This resulted in an attack that almost killed Stark and Pepper Potts and took him out of action when Mandarin destroyed his home.
He Stood Up To Congress And Senator Stern
Not only did Tony Stark shake up his entire company when he stopped developing weapons for anyone, but he took it to the government as well. He halted weapons production for the United States and then went before congress after revealing he was Iron Man.
Congress demanded authority over anything he did as Iron Man, with some even demanding he turned the armor over to the United States government to use. He refused at a congressional hearing and made it clear he was not for sale and would not answer to them, the ultimate act of rebellion.
He Told The World He Was Iron Man
While Tony Stark's rebellious acts changed his life in different ways, the most rebellious act for the MCU's first hero was four little words that changed his life completely and started his journey as one of Earth's most important protectors. In a press conference at the end of Iron Man, he told the world "I am Iron Man."
This was against everyone's wishes, and with those four words, he changed his life forever. The world knew he was Iron Man, so he couldn't hide and it put everyone in his life in the public spotlight. Tony Stark was the first hero who proudly revealed his secret identity and that defined him to the day he died.