“Are you really going to kill Iron Man?”: MCU Director Warned Russo Brothers Before They Ended Robert Downey Jr’s MCU Journey in Avengers: Endgame
The final cut of Avengers: Endgame brought fans to tears and immortalized Tony Stark’s legacy.
There have been many scenes directed by the Russo brothers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that completely crushed the fans of the franchise. However, there is none that struck the cord in the way that Tony Stark’s death did in Avengers: Endgame. The way the film went, it concluded not only the story of every single Avenger but also ran the course of Iron Man’s time.
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in a still from Avengers: EndgameRobert Downey Jr’s exit from the MCU was devasting from the moment he put on the gauntlet to his final words. To kill off the most iconic character of the franchise, one requires vigor and courage. The Russo brothers pulled off the impossible in the most epic manner possible. That was not without warnings though. Jon Favreau went out of his way to inform the directors of the same.
The Russo Brothers were Warned About the Risks
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Russo brothers broke down some of the most iconic scenes in their movies. Avengers: Endgame’s most significant sequence is that of Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark’s death. His final words moved the audience in ways that still ring in their ears.
Joe Russo in a still from Avengers: Endgame
“Jon Favreau held this up after he read the script, and said to us, ‘Are you guys really going to kill Iron Man?’ And I remember pacing on the corner of the stage on the phone with Favreau trying to talk him off a ledge cause he’s like, ‘You can’t do this. It’s going to devastate people and you don’t want them walking out of the theatre and into traffic.’ We did it anyways.”
The duo of directors admitted that Jon Favreau was extremely shocked when he first read the script. He asked the two about why they thought it to be a good idea because of the extreme amount of risks involved in the same. The way he was scared not just for the directors of the audience was something even the Russo brothers understood.
The Russo Brothers Took the Leap
It was evident that they did not take Jon Favreau’s warnings into consideration as the final cut of Avengers: Endgame brought the fans to tears. Tony Stark immortalized his legacy by saving the entire universe in the most enigmatic manner possible. The Russo brothers chose to kill him off because his journey had come to an end.
Tony Stark
There was nothing more the character could do or achieve, giving room for not only a conclusion worth his fame but also one that stood to tell his story forevermore.
