10 Iron Man Movie Moments That Divide MCU Fans Most

Since the beginning of the MCU, there have been several moments in Marvel Studios’ Iron Man projects that have divided audiences, making Tony Stark one of the most beloved, but also controversial, MCU superheroes. Robert Downey Jr. debuted as Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man, spearheading the MCU and setting the tone for the franchise’s future. After becoming the armored hero following a brief stint in captivity with the Ten Rings, Stark became a founding member of the Avengers, a mentor to young heroes such as Spider-Man, and eventually laid down his life to save the universe in Avengers: Endgame. However, Tony Stark wasn’t always the most sensitive MCU character.

Robert Downey Jr. appeared in ten MCU projects spanning eleven years during the Infinity Saga, helming his solo trilogy of Iron Man films, as well as appearing in all four Avengers projects, The Incredible Hulk’s post-credits scene, Captain America: Civil War, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Tony Stark was the cornerstone of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, with his debut in 2008’s Iron Man setting the tone for the franchise as he revealed himself to be a superhero at the end of the project, allowing other heroes to become celebrities in subsequent adventures. Despite being so celebrated, Tony Stark also delivered many controversial moments which divided MCU audiences more than most other heroes.

10 Tony Stark Blows Up All Of His Iron Man Suits

Iron Man 3 (2013)

2013’s Iron Man 3 capped off Tony Stark’s solo trilogy in the MCU’s Phase 2, but also became one of the MCU’s most divisive projects, featuring many moments that split fans’ perspectives on the armored Avenger. After battling and defeating Aldrich Killian and his Extremis-enhanced soldiers, Tony Stark made one of his most inexplicable decisions by having all of his Iron Man armors destroyed. For some, this marked a strong moment of character growth, as he realized that he didn’t need the crutch of his suits anymore. However, this scene ultimately became pointless, as he soon began making more suits, and continued operating as Iron Man for several years after.

9 The Mandarin Is Revealed To Be A Fraud

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Another key narrative point in Iron Man 3 was Stark’s battle with the leader of the Ten Rings, the Mandarin. While it initially seemed as though Marvel Studios was paying off years of teasing by having Iron Man face his archenemy, the Mandarin was revealed to be a fraud, as he was actually British actor Trevor Slattery. This reveal was brilliant for some, as it completely subverted expectations for Iron Man’s big battle with the Mandarin, but many felt robbed of an actual spar between the Marvel Comics adversaries. The MCU’s real Mandarin was introduced after Stark’s demise in Avengers: Endgame, meaning the pair will unfortunately never come to blows.

8 Tony Stark Makes A Crude Joke

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

After forming in 2012’s eponymous The Avengers, the MCU’s original superhero team reconnected in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron to take on the titular artificial intelligence. Age of Ultron is widely regarded as the weakest of Marvel Studios’ Avengers projects, and also contained a series of uncomfortable jokes from several members of the Avengers. Tony Stark specifically suggests that Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk better not be playing “hide the zucchini” during the Battle of Sokovia. This on-the-nose joke perhaps perfectly fit the juvenile nature of Stark’s character, but for some, this simply created a cringeworthy moment that wasn’t exactly necessary.

7 Aldrich Killian Is Abandoned By Tony Stark

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Iron Man 3 is one of the most criticized MCU projects thanks to its constant questionable choices. Throughout the film, Stark narrates that he created his own demons, one of them being Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian. Killian developed the Extremis serum with Maya Hansen after being shunned and abandoned by Stark at a 1999 conference. Stark made a snap judgment and ignored Killian because of his appearance, with the latter even contemplating suicide because of Stark’s actions, with is abhorrent. On the other hand, it could be argued that Killian certainly did come on too strong, which would have perhaps made anyone nervous to enter into business with him.

6 Iron Man Doesn’t Listen To Captain America

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

2016’s Captain America: Civil War featured the Avengers being driven apart by the actions of Daniel Brühl’s grieving Baron Zemo, whose anger over losing his family in Sokovia began his vendetta against the Avengers. After Zemo framed Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes for an attack at the United Nations, Tony Stark and Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers led two teams of Avengers in battle against each other, but after reconciling, Stark learned that Barnes had killed his parents in 1991. While this was an emotionally-high moment for Stark, making him understandably angry, he knew that Barnes was being controlled by HYDRA at the time, and refused to listen to reason.

5 Tony Stark Makes A Transphobic Joke

Iron Man (2008)

Tony Stark made several controversial jokes throughout Iron Man’s MCU journey, many of which occurred during his debut. One in particular divided fans more than most, as Stark approached his best friend Rhodey – then portrayed by Terrence Howard – and a group of cadets, and goaded Rhodey about an experience he had on Spring Break in 1987. Stark intentionally misgenders and dead-names a presumably transgender person, which created one of the MCU’s most uncomfortable moments. However, since a joke like this wasn’t repeated, this perhaps proves just how much Stark grew during his MCU career, taking him from abrasive and egotistical businessman to family man and dedicated superhero.

4 Tony Stark Gifts Spider-Man His Suits

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Many were excited when Tom Holland was revealed to be joining the MCU as Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, in Captain America: Civil War, as this would be the first time that Spider-Man’s exploits with the Avengers would be seen in live-action. However, the MCU’s Spider-Man missed something that made Marvel Comics’ and Sony’s previous versions so enjoyable – a homemade and small-scale feeling. This was exacerbated as Tony Stark frequently gifted Spider-Man new costumes, each with high-tech additions that Spider-Man simply didn’t need. While this put a new spin on Spider-Man, and perhaps better fit the MCU, it didn’t reflect Peter Parker’s Marvel Comics roots, though this has since changed.

3 Aunt May Doesn’t Want Stark To Flirt With Her

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Peter Parker’s introduction to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War was a thrilling moment, but it began one of Marvel Studios’ most unnecessary and drawn-out divisive concepts. Parker first met Tony Stark while also in the presence of his Aunt May – with Marisa Tomei’s iteration of the character being younger than previous live-action versions. This led to some uncomfortable moments of flirtation between Stark and May that the latter clearly wasn’t receptive to. While this was perhaps a funny running joke with Stark playing it up to make Parker uncomfortable, the fact that this unwanted flirtation continued into 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming was off-putting.

2 Iron Man’s Later Suits Use Nanotech

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

In his early MCU appearances, Marvel Studios devised creative ways for Tony Stark to don his Iron Man armor. Sometimes, this involved huge equipment removing the armor, such as those in his Malibu mansion or in Stark Tower, while others saw him acquire the suit from a briefcase, from within a helicopter, or with remote controlled implants in his arms. The evolution of Stark’s tech was shown brilliantly in Avengers: Infinity War with the introduction of a nanotech suit of armor, though this divided fans, with some feeling as though the nanotechnology stripped away the realism, weight, creativity, and believability of Stark suiting up as Iron Man.

1 Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Take A Break

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Over the course of several films in the MCU’s early days, viewers watched Tony Stark’s relationship to his former assistant, Pepper Potts, develop organically, creating one of the strongest and most believable romances in the MCU. However, in Captain America: Civil War, it was revealed that Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Potts were surprisingly taking a break. Civil War directors the Russo brothers revealed this was because Paltrow’s contract with Marvel Studios had ended, but she later appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, making this narrative meaningless. While this story did provide Iron Man with some beautifully emotional moments, it was quickly rendered pointless in subsequent projects.