Iron Man's Armor Obsession Perfectly Revealed Tony Stark's MCU Story

Iron Man's Armor Obsession Perfectly Revealed Tony Stark's MCU Story
Iron Man's armor mods secretly symbolized the story of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark from the first Iron Man film that launched the MCU to his climactic conclusion in Avengers: Endgame. His armor doesn't just change over time, as Tony adapts it from movie to movie based on unfolding events.

Although the MCU doesn't outright show Tony working on his Iron Man armor, it's implied that he is improving his suit off-screen between installments. However, these technological adjustments play a critical role in the franchise. This became particularly apparent after The Avengers, as Tony dealt with PTSD from the battle of New York. He coped through his obsession by perfecting his armor, to be relevant for any potential situation that might arise in the future. This premise led to the reveal of the "Iron Legion" in the third act of Iron Man 3. While it was not a key point of the films, the MCU does a good job in showing Iron Man's evolution, as he goes on to utilize nanotechnology in Avengers: Endgame.

These modifications which Tony makes to the Iron Man armor symbolize his overarching journey throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When he created his original Mark I armor, Tony was characterized as a desperate, self-interested businessman. By the end of his arc in Endgame, he learned to embrace self-sacrifice. This progression was echoed in his armor which was no longer based in material reality, as he incorporated nanotech. As an inventor, Tony is constantly seeking ways to improve himself and his armor for the betterment of mankind. Tony's ingenuity drives him to improve regardless of the risk involved. This aspect of his character has been both his greatest success and greatest failure throughout the MCU.

"Ingenuity" Is Iron Man's Real MCU Superpower
Besides his reputation as a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, Tony Stark's true "superpower" is his ingenuity. From the start, Tony was able to learn from previous missteps and failures he faced as Iron Man and apply them to new versions of armor in subsequent films. Much like the actor who plays him, Tony's improvisational skill paired up with his ingenuity forever changed the MCU. His ability to think and strategize on the fly was pivotal in many climactic moments in the MCU, and solidified Tony's role as a leader. It was never the armor that made Tony "Iron Man," but his ingenuity and problem-solving which prompted him to become a superhero. There were many instances in the films in which Tony was without his armor, forcing him to rely on his intelligence to get out of a desperate situation.

Iron Man 3'S Addresses Tony's Avengers PTSD
Tony's over-abundance of armors in Iron Man 3 was the result of the severe PTSD he suffered due to the events of The Avengers. This prompted him to create different armor for any situation. Throughout the film, Tony is consistently reminded of the wormhole he flew through to save the city. His insomnia leads him to rapidly create around 40 suits in a short span of time. Since Tony feels like he lacks control in his life, he tries to find that control by perfecting his Iron Man arsonol.

Tony's PTSD doesn't stop in Iron Man 3, but he does take steps to begin coping with it. One could argue that Tony never gets over his PTSD since it becomes a part of what drives him. He never wants to be in a situation in which he doesn't have a suit of armor that can't solve a particular problem. Things begin to change when he learns that Pepper has been abducted by Aldrich Killian to lure him into a trap to fix Extremis. This does help Tony focus for a time to save the day, but it doesn't allow him to resolve his issues. Even after he destroys all of his armor and removes the remaining shrapnel along with the Arc Reactor from his chest, Tony says he is still Iron Man. The unresolved issue of the alien threat haunts him, continuing to drive his character forward to creating new means of protecting the world.

How The Avengers Affected All Subsequent Iron Man Armor
The battle of New York in The Avengers changed the direction of the MCU forever, and one of those most affected was Tony Stark. The Iron Man who went into the wormhole redirecting a nuclear missile was not the Iron Man who came out. The experience changed Tony, and in turn, changed his approach to his Iron Man armor and other inventions. Tony said it best when he stated, "I see a suit of armor around the world," to Bruce Banner in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. He wanted to create something that would be able to protect the world from the alien threat he knew was out there.

Tony began to work on artificial intelligence which resulted in Ultron. Although it was originally intended to protect mankind, Ultron became the Avengers' next villain. Tony's relationship with Pepper was put on hold as he continued to improve on his armor among other things creating many more variations of armor. In Captain America: Civil War, the problems that resulted during The Age of Ultron split up the Avengers. While the film doesn't show Iron Man working on his armor, several things occurred which pushed Tony forwards in his character arc. His anxiety of the threat from space that started in The Avengers continued to shape him and the progression of his armor.

By the time of The Avengers: Infinity War, Tony creates the Iron Man armor finally capable of protecting the world from the threat that had haunted him since the first Avengers. Things were finally patched up with Pepper, and his PTSD wasn't as prevalent as it once was. During Endgame, Tony comes to the conclusion of his character arc. His fully realized journey makes him the perfect opponent for the Mad Titan, Thanos.

Iron Man's Future In The MCU After Endgame
Tony Stark might be gone, but his mark on the MCU survives. The legacy he leaves for the world, his family, and his fellow heroes will continue to shape the course of the MCU for years to come. There are several projects in place that will deal directly with technology that Tony Stark started, including Disney+'s upcoming series Armor Wars. If anything, the MCU's reliance on Iron Man's tech will likely only continue to grow.


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