Avengers: Endgame reveals what Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) final thoughts were before dying. The culmination of everything that has transpired in the MCU since it began in 2008’s Iron Man, Joe and Anthony Russo’s movie also marked the end of some of the franchise’s beloved heroes. That includes the universe’s inaugural character in a tragic yet poetic ending.

With his worst nightmare coming to life in Avengers: Infinity War, Stark checks out on being a superhero and lives a quiet family life with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) and daughter Morgan (Lexi Rabe). However, when the idea for the Time Heist comes up thanks to Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Stark suited back up in the hopes of bringing back all those who were affected by Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) deadly snap. While they were successful in their original mission, Iron Man decided to take the villain down once and for all by wielding the power of all the Infinity Stones and snapping him out of existence - unfortunately also killing himself in the process.

Stark’s dying scene was quiet and solemn, devoid of any quips despite the fact that the character is known for his snappy nature. Instead, the Russos leaned on the sadness of what’s happening on the screen. Now, however, the full Endgame script reveals what Stark wanted to say to his wife, Pepper, during his final moments: “I’m sorry.” Check out the excerpt shared by Brandon Davis on Twitter:

While Stark’s death is supposedly happening in the middle of the massive Endgame battle with essentially all the MCU heroes scattered in the area, the scene was actually shot separately. Only Don Cheadle’s War Machine, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Paltrow were were called to the set, giving Downey a more somber and quiet surrounding to act the scene. The decision to have Stark not say anything was also Downey’s idea (the “I am Iron Man” line was added in later), and frankly, it emphasizes the seriousness of what’s happening - the franchise’s inaugural hero is dying and moving forward, he will no longer be a key figure in the universe. In conjunction to that, the scene is also Downey’s final performance as the character with who he has become synonymous since he debuting in the role more than a decade ago.

Stark’s unspoken words to Pepper also echoes his dialog with a grown-up Morgan (Katherine Langford) in the deleted Soulworld scene in Endgame. In it, he apologizes for what he did, knowing that by sacrificing himself, he robbed his child the opportunity to grow old with a complete family. In the case of Pepper, he’s sorry because he’s leaving her behind. While he wasn’t able to verbalize what he wanted to say, his wife seems to understand his sentiments, giving him the permission to rest.

As sad as it was how Stark’s end panned out, it gave him a complete arc, one that started in Iron Man and wrapped up in Avengers: Endgame. Downey played the character brilliantly for more than a decade and fans will definitely miss him in the MCU. By sending him off this way, Marvel Studios proves that they’re not allergic to storytelling stakes which is very important for the franchise’s sustainability.

More: Avengers: Endgame - How Tony Stark Knew To Time Travel To 1970s

Source: Brandon Davis

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