Marvel Hints Iron Man’s Endgame Death Wasn’t The Only Way To Beat Thanos

Marvel Studios is hinting that there was a different way to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin) other than Iron Man’s (Robert Downey Jr.) death in Avengers: Endgame. It has been a few years since the Infinity Saga ended and MCU Phase 4 is in full swing. But, from time to time, Marvel Studios revisits the events of Avengers: Endgame, including Tony Stark’s sacrifice that led to the eventual takedown of the purple Titan.

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark willingly wielded the power of all six Infinity Stones to snap Thanos and his minions out of existence. Unfortunately, the move has also spelled his demise. There was an idea that Iron Man’s death was mandatory in the Avengers’ ultimate win against the villain, with Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) actions hinting that it was the only way for the heroes to emerge triumphant in the fight after peeking into the future. But, it’s possible that there may have been other ways to claim the victory as hinted by the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Director Sam Raimi, who took over the filmmaking job from Scott Derrickson, has teased in an official press release [via The Direct] that in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange and other characters in the film will have some regrets about their choices in Avengers: Endgame. He didn’t get into specifics about how it will affect the narrative of the film but since both Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Doctor Strange were snapped out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War, they only factored in toward the end, hence, had very little involvement in Avengers: Endgame. However, Doctor Strange had a small but impactful move in the film — subtly cajoling Iron Man to sacrifice himself which led to his death. Assuming that the MCU sorcerer is regretful of this decision, then it implies that there was another way to defeat Thanos that didn’t demand a sacrifice from Tony. Because, if it truly was the only way for the Avengers to win, then Doctor Strange shouldn’t feel remorseful for what he did. 

This isn’t the first time that Marvel Studios suggested that Iron Man didn’t really need to die in Avengers: Endgame. In the animated series, Marvel’s What If…? Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) stole Ultron’s Vibranium armor and wore it himself so he could wield the power of all six Infinity Stones. He used the force of the elemental gems to fight off his fellow Guardians of the Multiverse members as he betrayed them. But, unlike Iron Man, Killmonger didn’t die from this move. While it wasn’t exactly a snap, the fact that he was able to withstand the power of all six Infinity Gems suggested that a Vibranium armor may have ultimately saved Iron Man’s life in Avengers: Endgame. Logically, there were other stronger heroes who could have done the snap that took down Thanos without dying. If Smart Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) was able to get away with it with just a burned arm, it’s safe to say that either Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) or Thor (Chris Hemsworth) could have also walked away from it with minimal injuries. 

Regardless of the narrative specifics of Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame, it was integral to the MCU’s overall sustainability. Wrapping up Tony’s arc highlights the end of an era for the franchise; it also sets up a better future for the universe as it allows new blood to come in and assume leadership positions. That’s exactly what’s happening with Doctor Strange who’s expected to lead the further exploration of the multiverse.