ENDGAME SPOILERS
.
.
.
The more I think about it, after all the emotional shock of it, the more I know that this was really the only way Tonyās story couldāve ended.Ā
Hear me out why: So Iron Man 3 was the natural conclusion to Tonyās original arcāand it was the happy retirement ending. It was the ending where Tony comes to grips with his demons, opens his heart, and puts aside his suits while still embracing his Iron Man identity. Iron Man 3 is when Tony stopped being the man who had nothingāand started to build something more.Ā
But the moment Tony stepped back into the suit for Age of Ultron?Ā That was when Tonyās fate was sealed. It conclusively proved that TonyĀ ācanāt stop.ā This is something he even admits in Civil War to Steve. And it was these events that led him down the road to his eventual demiseābut also to the salvation of the entire universe.Ā
I find it ironic that, in Civil War, Tony accuses Steve of being the guy who canāt stand aside when things go south, but truthfully? Tony was speaking about himself. Tony canāt let things go. He canāt let the world suffer when he knows he can help. Thatās what makes him a true hero (or, as the Endgame soundtrack calls him, āThe Real Heroā).Ā
In Endgame, despite Tony having settled down, we see Tonyās been working on the time travel algorithm. Heās been working on it for years. Even before the team approached him. He hasnāt let it go. He never let go. His brain wonāt shut off. He canāt let the injustice of it all stand. He canāt let Thanos win.Ā
Pepper calls him out on this. When Tony entertains pretending he never found the key, Pepper says aloud what Tony already knows: can you rest? Can you rest knowing you can do something? Itās a full-circle moment for their relationshipāand itās beautiful. For the longest time, Pepper was terrified of losing Tony to his heroism. In any other film, she wouldāve encouraged him to put it away, try to put it aside, but here we see sheās the one telling him,Ā āItās okay. I understand. You need to do this. Go be a hero.ā As Tony predicted in Iron Man, sheās proud of the man heās becomeāand she even suits up to join him on the battlefield to fight at his side.Ā
With this blessing from the woman he loves, Tony opens Pandoraās box. He comes to the team with the time travel technology that will ultimately bring everyone back to lifeābut with this act comes the inevitable consequences as the ripples in the timestream bring Thanos back. Thanos, like a proverbial nightmare, arrives in a storm cloud, emboldened with a more terrible plan to eradicate all life. To destroy the entire Universe. By trying to do the right thing, once again Tony inadvertently puts the lives of everyone at stake.
Weāve known since Age of Ultron that Thanos represents Tonyās deepest fears: everyone he cares about dying while he still stands. Thanos represents Tonyās failure.Ā āWhy didnāt you do more?ā as Steve says in the horrifying vision. I understand the fact Tony died to take-down the source of his trauma is inherently a bitter pill to swallow, but, in the end, it wasĀ Tonyās choice. He wouldnāt let it beat himāand he would rather die than see his nightmare become a reality. This is because Tony has always been a true heroāsomething recognizable enough Stephen Strange was willing to stake the entire universe on Tony Starkās heart.Ā
So Tony does what heās been destined to do. Holding all six of the Infinity Stones, Tony snaps his fingers. He does this fully knowing he is going to die, that heās never going to get to see his little girl grow up, but he dies knowing everyone else will get to have a life. He dies to make sure everyone will get to know at least a semblance of the peace he had for five years. He dies to save his daughter, his wife, his friends, strangers. He dies so that he can finally be at peaceāand thatās why Pepper tells himĀ āWeāll be okay.ā Itās what Tony needs to hear. Because of him, yes, everything will be okay.Ā
And the ripple effect of Tonyās sacrifice are immediately seen. Tony is why Steve chose to actually live. Tonyās death gives Steve the courage to finally let go and be happy, because otherwise Tonyās sacrifice wouldāve been in vain. Tonyās death allows Thor to go on a journey of self-discovery. Tonyās death allows Clint to reunite with his family. Tonyās death ensures there will be new heroes alive to safeguard the world in his absence. In this way, Tonyās death was the catalyst for all these stories moving forward. Heās the reason the MCU was bornāand heās the reason it continues to breathe.Ā
Tonyās story comes full circle to Iron Man: HeĀ dies as the man who had everythingā¦ in a last act of defiance. And he died as the most powerful being in the entire universe.Ā
oh my god..this is beautiful i could not have said it any betterš
