Why did Iron Man have to die">Iron Man launched the MCU back in 2008 and played a pivotal role in what is now known as the Infinity Saga. He proved to be one of the MCU franchise's greatest heroes and put his life on the line multiple times before paying the ultimate price in Avengers: Endgame.
The twenty-second MCU film was touted as the culmination of the universe to that point, and fans went into the movie expecting to say goodbye to some characters as the Avengers tried to defeat Thanos and reverse The Snap. Black Widow sacrificed her life to obtain the Soul Stone, and Captain America retired after the finale, but it was Iron Man who gave up his life to stop Thanos once and for all. The final battle consisted of the 2014 version of the Mad Titan and his massive army taking on the Avengers and friends to decide the universe's fate. It all came down to a scrum for the Infinity Stones between Thanos and Iron Man. Although Thanos thought he had the upper hand, Iron Man secretly took the Infinity Stones to perform a snap of his own – one which wiped the Mad Titan and his army from Earth but also ended his own life.
As devastating as Avengers: Infinity War. That aided Avengers: Endgame's story, as every question, convenience, or plot hole could be wiped away as being tied to the Avengers winning. However, the extent of this "win" is less clear – why did Iron Man have to die? Strange could've been referring to simply stopping Thanos, but there's also a chance Strange's view of the future extended beyond the Infinity Saga. And to keep the universe safe for the longest time possible, would that require Tony Stark to no longer be around?
Doctor Strange Saved Iron Man In Infinity War
Throughout the course of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark's life was spared on a few occasions. This happened when he survived Thanos' snap, but Doctor Strange also ensured that he would live to experience that moment. Using the Time Stone, Strange witnessed the 14,000,604 futures in which the Avengers lost. He alone knows the different possibilities and what went wrong. Although this allowed him to figure out the lone future where the Avengers won, he also witnessed the millions of ways they lost. As a result, he would know who is most important to the plan.
Ahead of the first encounter with Thanos on Titan, Strange made his priorities very clear: protect the Time Stone at all costs. He even specifically said that if it came down to letting Iron Man die or keeping the Time Stone out of Thanos' hands, he would not hesitate to let Tony die. That's why it was so shocking to see Strange willingly give the stone to Thanos in exchange for his life. Thanos was moments from killing Iron Man but left Titan without finishing the job once the Time Stone was in hand. Strange's decision, though, came after he saw the future, and he explained that it was the only way.
Iron Man Was Needed To Stop Thanos
It wasn't long after Avengers: Infinity War ended that fans began to realize that Strange's decision meant Tony was the key to stopping Thanos. Although it took more time than expected and involved some persuasion by the Avengers to have him risk his life again, Avengers: Endgame ultimately showed just how important Tony was in the defeat of Thanos.
Tony Stark was initially hesitant to take on Thanos again after the events of Infinity War, as he didn't want to lose the family to which he barely made it back alive. However, some random inspiration from a photo of him and Peter Parker helped change that. Tony successfully figured out time travel through the Quantum Realm and created the hand devices and nano-tech suits to make such a journey possible. Not only would the Avengers not be able to time travel without Tony, but he also proved essential to the missions themselves. After Loki stole the Space Stone, Tony was the only one who knew where it and more Pym Particles could be found so the mission could be finished.
Furthermore, Tony ultimately made Hulk's snap possible by creating an Iron Gauntlet capable of changing its size to fit any hand. His contributions didn't end there, of course, as the same technology made Iron Man the only one in Endgame who could steal the Infinity Stones away from Thanos without him knowing. It was only through the nano-tech design of the latest Iron Man armor that Tony could interact with the Iron Gauntlet and take the stones back. Thus Iron Man died in Avengers: Endgame, sacrificing himself to protect everyone he cared about.
Theory: The Universe Is Safer Without Tony Stark
Tony's sacrifice is undoubtedly a heroic and selfless moment, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Doctor Strange couldn't have had an ulterior motive. It is blatantly clear that no matter how big a hero Tony Stark became, he and others were usually fighting villains Iron Man created. Beyond Stark Industries' involvement in creating weapons of war and how that factored into Tony's origin, the tech he designed was used by Obadiah Stane and Ivan Vanko to become villains. Tony's decision to spurn Aldrich Killian even motivated him to become a villain. In contrast, Quentin Beck became Mysterio after Stark rebranded the BARF technology, and Adrian Toomes became Vulture after Stark founded Damage Control and eliminated his business. It's also impossible to overlook how he created Ultron, a decision that resulted in a major catastrophe and helped fuel the Sokovia Accords, which he backed.
Iron Man did a lot of good, but it's apparent that his genius and futurist thinking also created problems in the MCU. That could be why Doctor Strange influenced Infinity War and Endgame to play out as they did. The idea that there was Iron Man's death in Avengers: Endgame also eliminated future threats.
Although this is just a theory, for now, it would certainly paint Doctor Strange and both Infinity War and Endgame in new lights if it was ever confirmed. Strange would suddenly become more of a morally ambiguous character, if not an outright villain in the eyes of some. But, since he and Stark developed some level of understanding during their time together, it also makes him holding up his index finger in Avengers: Endgame's final battle more crushing. Strange knows that not only is Tony Stark about to die but that he chose this future. With Kang the Conqueror and other villains set to be introduced in Phase 4 and beyond, only time will tell (literally) whether or not Doctor Strange made the right call.
How Marvel Brought Back Iron Man After Endgame
's final Stark insult was a surprising one, with the Watcher finally visiting a timeline in which a Stark had not (yet) died, but he wasn't interested in Iron Man - instead, choosing to his Guardians of the Multiverse in Stark's place. It's quite possible the Watcher feared what Iron Man would do with the experience of the multiverse and couldn't take the risk, for even a glimpse of a Stark would have thrown Ultron and given the Guardians of the Multiverse a chance.
Marvel's focus may well change as the MCU continues to explore the multiverse. There were rumors of another Iron Man in Tom Cruise Iron Man variant the Internet craved never materialized, alternate Tony Starks are still slated to return to the MCU. Marvel has already renewed What If...? for a second season – one that will include the episode in which Gamora teamed up with Iron Man and killed Thanos. Iron Man's role in the wider Marvel multiverse may yet change, perhaps granting him as great a significance to the fabric of reality as he had in the main MCU timeline.
How Phase 4 s The Iron Man Death Theory
Phase 4 of the MCU has inadvertently given a lot of weight to the theory that Doctor Strange unnecessarily allowed or even deliberately arranged Iron Man's death in Avengers: Endgame. A non-Zombie Iron Man hasn't appeared in Phase 4, despite the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness rumors, but Doctor Strange and America Chavez's escapades across different universes have hinted at Earth-616 Stephen Strange's feelings about Tony Stark and his role as the kind of character who'd've killed Iron Man for the "greater good." The Doctor Stranges of every reality in the MCU share a few problematic personality traits, and a core theme of Multiverse of Madness is the Doctor Strange of MCU Earth-616 learning how to buck his cross-dimensional tendency to achieve his goals at any cost. This close-minded determination invariably has cataclysmic results, even if his goals are defending the greater good.
One of the dead Defender Strange its to being fully aware of.
She's distrustful of Earth-616 Strange when they meet, and maybe not without good reason. It takes him great self-control to not murder the teenager for her power at multiple points in the film, even after he and America have formed a bond. In the end, 616 Strange overcomes his tendencies and finds a way to save her. This personal growth was short-lived though, because immediately afterward he watched happily as Scarlet Witch ended her own life by collapsing the stone temple of Wundagore on herself. He could simply have asked America to transport her to a different reality where Wanda was dead and the kids needed a mother. Doctor Strange's first phase 4 outing may not have featured Iron Man, but it did show that Earth-616 Strange wouldn't be above leading Iron Man to an avoidable death in Avengers: Endgame if he thought Tony was also a threat.
