Why Endgame’s First Scenes Foreshadow Iron Man’s Death

Tony Stark’s death was foreshadowed at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame, and apparently, there were several clues viewers could pick up on. Robert Downey Jr.’s character kicked off the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008’s Iron Man. The character was a constant presence throughout the first decade of the MCU, often being the glue that tied stories together. It’s fitting that his death brought a major chapter of the MCU to an end, and perhaps audiences should’ve expected it.

In Avengers: Infinity War, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) reveals there’s only one way to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin), and Tony realizes in Endgame that this one way will result in his death. Despite that, he steals the Infinity Stones from Thanos and snaps the Mad Titan and his army out of existence anyway. The power of the stones is too much for Stark to handle, giving him a heartbreaking end. But the death scene is earned. The impressive list of attendees at Tony’s funeral (everyone from Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel) shows how much Iron Man means to the MCU and gives the character a worthy sendoff.

Endgame starts out immediately preparing Tony for his death. Following the events of Infinity War, Iron Man is left floating in space with Nebula (Karen Gillan), waiting for his end. Oxygen is running out, the ship can’t fly, and the only thing they can do to pass the time is play paper football. In other words, everything about it is bleak. Stark even records a goodbye message for Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) in his partly destroyed helmet, clearly accepting that he’s going to die. Before Captain Marvel shows up to save the day, Tony doesn’t have much hope, and that’s intentional.

In addition to getting Tony ready for his death, the opening Endgame scenes prep the audience for it too. Until Captain Marvel shows up, Tony has embraced the fact that his time is up. He’s been floating in space for around 22 days, and he has exhausted all his options. In Tony’s message to Pepper, he says as much, even imploring her not to “feel bad” about his death. These harrowing opening scenes are pivotal to Iron Man’s development in Endgame and inform viewers that death is a real possibility. Because of these moments, the character is more willing to accept a plan later that will result in his death. The audience is too.

Beyond the mental preparation, Avengers: Endgamedrops Easter eggs about Iron Man’s end as well. The helmet Tony records his goodbye message on is destroyed on one side, hinting at how Downey Jr. looks after using the Infinity Stones on Thanos. The character’s own behavior also seems to foreshadow his end. After discovering time travel, he has a conversation with Pepper that’s basically him accepting if he’s willing to die to reverse Thanos’ deadly snap. Then, after Thanos’ snap is finally reversed and the Avengers are attacked, he tells Chris Evans’ Captain America,  “You mess with time; it tends to mess back. You’ll see.” The movie culminates in Iron Man’s shocking sacrifice, but — given all the hints at his death — perhaps it would’ve been more shocking if he lived.

About The Author

Bill Bradley
(524 Articles Published)

Bill is an experienced reporter who’s covered entertainment and fandom since 2014. He’s done everything from unearthing the discarded Game of Thrones pilot script in a library in Texas to finding out why Steve left Blue’s Clues. He also enjoys eating Taco Bell and drinking chocolate milk.

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