Major spoilers for Avengers: Endgame lie ahead if you haven’t seen it yet. However, it’s likely you already know the plot, even if you didn’t rush to the cinema at the crack of dawn on release day. Iron Man, or more precisely Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the character, sacrifices himself to defeat Thanos once and for all at the end of the final battle.
According to an interview with the Russo brothers and RDJ himself, Iron Man’s death could have happened much sooner. In an interview with CBR, Joe Russo explained that when they are making these MCU blockbusters, they often brainstorm ideas to see what sticks.
“Mine is just ‘don’t kill me,'” RDJ joked. Russo added that there was a moment during the filming of Infinity War when he thought killing Iron Man could be a great twist. “There was a moment where we thought, ‘They won’t see this coming. This could be the greatest time to do it.’ But then we would have to figure out how he could still participate in the next movie. And then we thought, ‘And then screw it, we’ll do it in the next movie,’ he stated.”
The final decision to conclude Iron Man’s arc at the end of Endgame, therefore, seemed more fitting, allowing RDJ to bow out in an appropriate manner rather than creating the impression of a cheap trick. Robert Downey Jr. will return this year in Avengers: Doomsday, where he will portray the main antagonist, Doctor Doom.