Phase 4 of the MCU provided evidence that Steve Rogers' Captain America has a bigger in-universe legacy than Tony Stark's Iron Man. Iron Man and Captain America were widely regarded as the two central pillars of the Infinity Saga. Both characters featured to a huge extent throughout the entirety of Phases 1, 2, and 3 before Rogers retired with Peggy Carter and Stark sacrificed himself to save the universe in Avengers: Endgame.

With Phase 4 telling the next arc of the MCU's story set directly after Endgame, Iron Man and Captain America's respective legacies weighed over each project. With Phase 4 consisting of a total of 15 projects, the continuation of the MCU's story without these two central characters was interesting to see, to say the least. Two of these 15 projects, however, seem to confirm that Captain America actually had a bigger legacy than Iron Man, despite the latter's fan-favorite status and Endgame sacrifice.

Related: We're Still Seeing Iron Man 1's Legacy In MCU's Fantastic Four Movie

Steve Rogers’ Presence Was Felt Throughout Sam’s Cap Journey

Steve-Rogers-and-Sam-Wilson-as-Captain-America

The first of these projects was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw Sam Wilson go on a journey of self-discovery to become Captain America after Rogers passed the shield on to him. Throughout the entirety of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's six-episode run, Rogers' presence loomed over the story. From Sam initially not believing he is worthy to carry on Steve's legacy, and John Walker's failure to do so, to the grief Bucky feels at his loss, Captain America's legacy was the series' focal point.

The entire season was about Sam learning to uphold Captain America's legacy despite his unwillingness to follow Steve and his reservations about becoming the face of a country that has oppressed black people throughout history exemplified by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Isaiah Bradley. This not only allowed the series to focus on how Steve's legacy can continue but also how it can evolve through Sam Wilson's heritage. This made it so that the main project of Phase 4 which focused on Cap's legacy had Steve's presence front and center, something that cannot be said for Iron Man.

Tony Stark Was Not Tied To Riri Williams’ Story At All

Tony stark iron man riri williams black panther wakanda forever

The main project to focus on the passing of Iron Man's torch in Phase 4 was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which saw the introduction of Riri Williams/Ironheart. In the comics, Ironheart is Tony Stark's successor and the billionaire is directly tied to her origin as the character. However, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever largely removed Stark's connection to Riri or at least chose not to focus on it. Iron Man was only mentioned once in a brief throwaway line from a cop, and Riri's MCU Ironheart armor was tied closer to Shuri and Wakanda than Iron Man.

Unfortunately, this diminishes the legacy of Tony Stark in a way that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier avoided with Steve Rogers. In making Riri the successor to Iron Man, the MCU should have tied them together more closely, something that was not the case with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, there is a way the MCU's Phase 5 can rectify this, as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever naturally had other things on its mind such as the continuation of another legacy hero under tragic circumstances.

Related: This MCU Ironheart Theory Is Wild - And It'd Be Awesome If It Comes True

Phase 5's Ironheart Could Rectify This Mistake

Title card for the Ironheart series

The way Phase 5 can correct this is through Ironheart, the Riri Williams-centric upcoming Disney+ Marvel show expected to release in late 2023. This series could utilize Tony Stark in a way that is more in line with Marvel Comics. While Tony Stark is alive when he endorses Riri in the comics, Ironheart could simply swap the order of events that transpires. In the comics, Riri makes a suit that rivals Iron Man's before it is damaged. Stark takes notice of this and endorses her as Ironheart.

While this is not possible in the MCU due to Stark's death, Ironheart could make it so that Tony endorsed Riri before the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and before his death. That film showcased Riri's first test flight in the Ironheart mark one armor which was damaged before she made the mark two armor in Wakanda. It could be revealed in flashbacks that Riri was endorsed by Tony before his death which would massively improve the subject of Tony Stark's legacy being continued in the MCU in the way Steve Rogers' was.

More: Every MCU Legacy Hero Already Set Up For Phase 7 & Beyond

Key Release Dates