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Avengers: Endgame may have arrived in theaters over a year ago, but the conversation around the blockbuster hasn't slowed down much. The Russo Brothers jam packed the movie's runtime with reveals and payoffs, in a wild adventure through the MCU's timeline. Not everyone made it out alive from the final battle against Thanos, including Black Widow and Iron Man. The latter character sacrificed himself to snap Thanos and his forces out of existence, but some fans are wondering if he could still be revived somehow in the future. Now The Russo Brothers have shared their thoughts on this possibility.
The Russo Brothers killed off quite a few characters throughout Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, giving the blockbusters a higher sense of stakes than most Marvel movies. Tony Stark's death was arguably the most dramatic of the bunch, as he managed to wield the Infinity Stones himself. The Russo Brothers recently appeared on our ReelBlend podcast, where they addressed the possibility of Tony being resurrected sometime in the future. As Anthony Russo put it,
I mean look, certainly we've always said this and we believe this about stakes have to be real, and if they're not real, like the audience's emotional investment in the moment and in those characters in the narrative is only...is contingent upon them feeling like there's potential. There's something to be lost. So in all of our storytelling, even though those Marvel movies a lot of the story was difficult, we wanted to commit very hard to that idea. So to answer your question, I think it would be in the context of that. It depends on how he was brought back. It depends on the storytelling, but it is certainly something that has to be earned. It's certainly something that would shock and surprise audiences, so you can't simply just bring him back. There would have to be a really compelling, innovative, unpredictable narrative event to find your way there in order for it to be worth it.
Well, that was a pretty comprehensive answer. It looks like The Russo Brothers didn't kill Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame with any intentions to bring him back. After all, his sacrifice loses power without his death remaining permanent. What's more, the mourning that especially his wife and daughter felt would be for naught. That being said, Anthony Russo thinks a very specific magcuffin would be necessary in order to bring Robert Downey Jr.'s Avenger back to the silver screen.
Marvel fans can re-watch The Russo Brothers' work in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
Joe Russo's comments about Iron Man's death came from The Russo Brothers' recent appearance on our podcast, ReelBlend. While discussing their new Netflix movie Extraction, the conversation eventually turned to all things Marvel. Killing off Tony Stark was a bold choice for the directors, one that seems to have paid off emotionally in Avengers: Endgame. But that doesn't mean fans are ready to say goodbye.
There have already been plenty of fan theories as to how Tony Stark might pop back up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Robert Downey Jr. is expected to voice the character in Disney+'s upcoming animated series What If...?, there are some fans who are hoping he could have a proper resurrection on the big screen. Although given how much his body was ravaged by exposure to the Infinity Stones' gamma, it would take some crazy miracle to bring him back from the dead.
Personally, I'm hoping Tony Stark stays dead in the MCU. His death affects so many characters within the shared universe, and I want to see how that dynamic plays out. Additionally, I'm ready to see the newer members of The Avengers to step up and lead the franchise after the departure of favorites like Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow.
Extraction is currently streaming on Netflix, and the MCU will kick off Phase Four with Black Widow on August 14th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your trips to the movies once they reopen.
