Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has moved on from the Infinity Saga and the events ofAvengers : Endgame , it restrain proving that it will never be able to fully escapeIron Man – but that ’s not a bad thing at all . The MCU kicked off with Iron Man ’s first movie back in 2008 , and Tony Stark ( Robert Downey Jr ) went on to become the leader of the MCU ’s first three phases as well as one of the leaders of the original Avengers alongside Captain America .

Iron Man hold up through a difficult personal journeythroughout the Infinity Saga as he struggled with his traumatic yesteryear as well as his ego , and in the end , he died as a poor boy when he sacrifice himself inAvengers : Endgamein order to save the universe . The MCU struggled to move on from Iron Man and his legacy in the first part of Phase 4 , and while it does n’t depend on him anymore , it has become clean that this cosmos will never get away Iron Man , but that is n’t a bad matter anymore .

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Iron Man Still Defines The MCU Even After His Death

Iron Man not only ledthe Infinity Sagabut also defined the MCU and thus was key in making it what it now is . The success of his debut movie lead Marvel to copy its convention in its subsequent movies , along with its tone that combined comedy and lighthearted moments with darker and more serious one , which are the ones that sum up deepness to the characters and allow the audience to get in touch with them . Although the MCU has tried to shake the formula up with movies likeEternals , it ultimately always go back to whatIron Manestablished and has worked so well , so even if Stark himself is n’t around any longer , he continues to delimitate the MCU because he shattered expectations and proved that his tone and style was what this connected universe take to win and remain afloat .

Iron Manwas also the first MCU movie witha post - credits scene that teasedthe graphic symbol ’s ( and this universe ’s ) future tense , with the introduction of Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ) and his offer about the Avengers Initiative . This was the beginning of a tradition in the MCU that , even though has fall back power and popularity lately with post - credits scenes that add nothing to the story nor the future of the MCU , continue to intrigue viewers , making them stay until the final credits are over . Iron Manalso made the whole “ everything is link up ” concept a reality , with Feige ( viaVanity Fair ) adjustingThe Incredible Hulkto make it feel more likeIron Manand including Robert Downey Jr in it to make that link . Iron Manchanged the superhero writing style alfresco and within its own world , setting an example for other plug in universe of discourse , and within the MCU , it establish the first connections and built the formula for the rest of the picture to bump , and while theMCU has changed since Iron Man ’s demise , this universe is still defined by him , what he did , and what he established , both as a character and a movie .

The MCU’s Future Cannot Escape Iron Man’s Legacy

The MCU does n’t reckon on Iron Man ’s actions anymore to push this universe forward , but it ca n’t escape Tony Stark ’s legacy , either . Iron Man ’s bequest goes beyond Earth , and by the time he died inAvengers : Endgame , he had touched too much of the MCU to be left behind once he was gone . Iron Man was responsible for the emergence of various villain , his engineering continues to be used ( look no further than to his good friend Rhodey , who continue to assist as War Machine ) , and he helped Spider - Man become the hero he is now ( though Peter Parker is now starting over from scratch , but he sure wo n’t forget what he learned from his wise man ) , and he preserve the world , and that alone is enough for the MCU to not ever get away his bequest .

Although his close friends and workfellow , as are the original Avengers , are no longer dynamic , and Pepper Potts and Morgan Stark are no longer an active part of the MCU either , Iron Man ’s legacy continuesthrough characters like Rhodey , Spider - Man , Happy Hogan , and the fresh introduced Riri Williams , the latter now his official replacing in the MCU . Even if not directly linked to him , there ’s still a fate that colligate in some means to Iron Man , all thanks to everything he did in the MCU and how he shaped this creation in many style .

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Why It’s OK The MCU Won’t Escape Iron Man

As the Heron who started it all and the one who made the MCU post - Endgamepossible thanks to his forfeit , it makes sensory faculty , and it ’s in reality ok , that this cosmos has n’t escaped Iron Man . The MCU has now reached a point where it does n’t have to use Iron Man to push other stories ahead ( which still happened with Spider - Man inSpider - Man : Far From Home ) , but it does n’t have to forget or ignore what he did either . Iron Man ’s bequest will be mostly mat in the upcoming movieArmor Wars , which will seeStark ’s prominent nightmare happeningand Rhodey taking the lead to solve it , and there are also the many consequences of the radar target and Iron Man ’s snap that continue to be feel and discussed across the MCU . Iron Man form and saved the MCU , and while he should n’t still be the trigger of conflict anymore , the MCU wo n’t escape his legacy and that ’s exactly how it should be .

Iron Man’s Enduring MCU Legacy Is Why RDJ Never Needs To Return

With the conception of variant now an important part of the MCU , especially throughout the Multiverse Saga , there has been hypothesis over how Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr. could return , but that ’s unnecessary . RDJ does n’t want to reprise his role as Iron Man because his and the character ’s legacy continues to be present in the MCU and will surely stay for a foresighted , long sentence , and work them back would sully Iron Man ’s abiding bequest . Iron Man ’s time in the MCU come to a satisfying remainder and his sacrifice is what countenance this universe to move onward withthe Multiverse Saga , and that alone is a powerful enough legacy that free Robert Downey Jr. from having to return . Iron Manwas a lot more than the MCU ’s virtuoso , billionaire , playboy , and philanthropist , and the MCU is what it is now and keep to grow thanks to him .

Next : Why Robert Downey Jr Left The MCU & Iron Man

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Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark working on hand armor in Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU

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