Back in 2008, a group of people got together to bring to the screen the story of a man who created a metal suit and used it to become a superhero. In their journey, they cast an actor who went through a myriad of troubles throughout his long career. With so much stacked against it, it seemed as though the story of Iron Man was doomed to fail. Fast Forward to 2019, and not only has Robert Downey Jr.'s career experienced a huge upswing, but that story of the rather obscure Marvel superhero started what may be one of the biggest movie franchises of the decade, if not all time.
Throughout his tenure in the MCU, Tony Stark has experienced quite the journey. Starting off as an egotistical jackass who made a profit from selling weapons of mass destruction, it's when Tony ends up on the receiving end of being held captive and tortured that he realizes how truly corrupt business dealings have become, most of which on account of his longtime friend and associate, Obadiah Stane. As a result, he turns over a new leaf and dedicates himself to using his technology to help others, becoming the superhero known as Iron Man.
Though Tony does gradually evolve into a better person because of his change of heart, he still remains a heavily flawed person, and it takes people like Pepper, Rhodey, and Steve Rogers to give him the reality check he needs. He experiences heavy hardships throughout this time as well, be it heavy bouts of PTSD, discovering the truth about how his parents die which in turn causes a massive rift between him and Steve, and a monumental defeat at the hands of the Mad Titan Thanos.
Even when all the odds were stacked against him, Tony still managed to find peace amid all the chaos by starting a family with the woman he loved. It is here where he makes the ultimate sacrifice. Choosing to help reverse the damage done by the Snap so that every one can have their happy ending, there is only one way for things to truly go back to normal and stay that way: Tony's death. With the snap of his fingers, he finally puts an end to the nightmare that has plagued him so long, and with reassurance from Pepper, finally rests in peace knowing everything is going to be okay.
Tony Stark has had one of the most moving, compelling, and profound arcs I have ever seen in the realm of fiction. All of this was capped off by Robert Downey Jr.'s electrifying performance, proving that no one could ever play the role the way he did. As such, though his story ended on an absolutely perfect note, the MCU will never be the same without his presence every now and then.
I love you 3000...
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