Write the character sketch of iron man in avengers end game
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First off, spoiler warning! If I’m going to talk about Avengers: Endgame in any real way I’m going to have to spoil it. Based on the film’s unprecedented box office success, chances are any of you reading this already saw the conclusion the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But in case you didn’t, again, spoiler warning! Okay? Okay.
Let’s talk about Iron Man.
Tony Stark’s role in the MCU is so fundamental, so all-encompassing, that it’s tough to know where to start when talking about it. He’s built into the foundation. Iron Man is a gravitational center warping space and time on a level even beyond a quantum tunnel-powered clip show. Part of this is just timing. 2008’s Iron Man famously kicked off the entire MCU project introducing elements like a breezy and fun tone, modest action, solid character work, and nerd-pleasing continuity teases. Its financial success convinced the studio the larger initiative was worth pursuing, and that’s before they had Disney money.
But it’s not just that Iron Man was first. He was also arguably never surpassed. After solo movies that failed to set the world on fire, it wasn’t until The Avengers that characters like Thor and Captain America really started to connect with audiences, and even after that they worked more as key players in the larger ensemble. They’ve never had as much pure standalone power as Iron Man, even with his later sequels being as polarizing as they are (Iron Man 3 rules). And now, at the end, I’m convinced it’s because Iron Man as a character just towers above the rest.
Specifically, Iron Man in these movies. Before 2008 Tony Stark was never anyone’s idea of a marquee Avenger or comic book superhero in general. Captain America leads the team, and while that’s technically true in the movies, there’s a reason why Tony’s head is the biggest on the poster, and it’s not just his ego. Even Spider-Man aspires to his level now.True-blue movie superstar Robert Downey, Jr. obviously deserves a ton of credit for essentially reinventing Iron Man for the screen, just like how Stark reinvents himself. The parallels between the actor and character have been fascinating to watch from the start as Downey redirects his own tense self-destructive past into Tony’s troubled but inspiring middle-age redemption arc. And he’s just a hoot, his snarky and blisteringly intelligent improv stream of consciousness rapport with humans, monsters, and digital assistants alike is as entertaining now as it was ten years ago.
But a good character needs more than just a good actor and fun affectations. Much of the MCU and its approach to its characters is the result of Marvel trying to reverse engineer Iron Man but they could never fully replicate it. It’s why only Iron Man’s death could have the impact that it does at the end of Endgame, leaving a gaping hole the MCU can frankly never fully recover from.
So why else does Iron Man work? There’s no simple formula. It’s a lot of factors working together like alchemy that various writers and directors have all tapped into. For starters, he’s got an awesome look and infinitely expanding set of smart superpowers. Watching Tony build a tin can flamethrower suit with cave scraps is great but so is watching nanobots form anime mech laser armor around him in seconds. It’s like an exaggerated version of watching our tech like phones and game consoles become exponentially cooler with time. And it all feels consistent for the character and his path.