RIP Tony Stark: Iron Man officially dies today according to the MCU timeline
Oct. 17, 2023We knew this day would come
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
After the Avengers traversed time and space to locate all of the Infinity Stones, they ended up in a final face-off against an earlier version of Thanos. After a fight for the gauntlet, Stark attached the stones to his armor, before snapping his fingers, disintegrating Thanos and his army, and effectively saving the universe.
The action took a huge toll on his body due to the gamma radiation and the power of the stones, zapping him of his remaining life force. Stark died on the battlefield surrounded by Peter Parker, Rhodey, and Pepper Potts in the most heartbreaking moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date.
It may have been years since we’ve watched it on the big screen, but the hugely emotional moment remains one of the best on-screen farewells to an MCU hero. A lot of this was down to how well Stark’s arc was navigated from his first appearance back in 2008’sIron Man, right through to that final moment.
He started off as a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, who turned into an ordinary man who goes to extraordinary measures to save his family. Stark’s ultimate sacrifice saved billions of people across the galaxy at great personal cost – all because it was the right thing to do. And along the way, he was charming, funny, and charismatic on screen.
Downey Jr.’s performance was a huge guiding factor in this. While he was initially considered a controversial casting choice, over the years, he completely inhabited this role, setting the bar for superhero movies to contain nuanced, powerful performances alongside all the CGI mayhem. It was a complete turnaround for his career too, and one that set upfuture performances like his Oscar-buzz-worthy turninOppenheimer.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
For more on the MCU, check out our breakdown ofhow to watch the Marvel movies in orderand all of theupcoming superhero movieson the way fromMarvel Studios.
I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I’ve also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.
Captain America star Chris Evans reportedly joins Robert Downey Jr. in MCU return for Avengers: Doomsday, but it’s not clear who he’s playing
After the massive success of Deadpool and Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds says he sees the Merc with a Mouth as more of a supporting character going forward
The Bear star is joining the Star Wars universe in The Mandalorian and Grogu movie as a deep-cut Clone Wars character
