Tony Stark may have heroically died in Avengers: Endgame, but an Ironheart fan poster imagines the perfect way to bring him back to the MCU.
Summary
- New art imagines a creative way for Iron Man to return to the MCU without undoing his noble sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. A hologram version of Tony Stark could aid Riri in Ironheart as she becomes the hero she has the potential to be.
- While a hologram of Tony Stark may seem far-fetched, it allows for Iron Man’s sacrifice to remain intact while staying true to Marvel Comics.
- In the comics, Riri Williams takes up the mantle of Ironheart while Tony is in a coma, and an AI version of Stark assists her. Including a digital Tony could add fun scenes without overshadowing Riri’s character arc in Ironheart.
Despite Iron Man having been dead in the MCU since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, new art depicts a loophole Marvel Studios could use to bring back the hero in the Ironheart series without undoing his noble sacrifice. As the MCU has fully delved into the multiverse, it’s no longer difficult to imagine how deceased characters can return. However, doing so risks undoing emotional deaths and character arcs. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark was the face of the MCU for over a decade, so it’s understandable that many would like to see him return. However, that’s easier said than done.
However, there are creative ways Iron Man could return to the MCU without ruining the impact of his death. Artist marvels.wolverine has taken to their Instagram page to share a slick piece of Ironheart fan art that imagines Tony Stark returning to the MCU as an AI hologram who presumably aids Riri as she develops her Stark-like suits and grows into the hero she has the potential to be.
While a hologram of Tony Stark seems far-fetched, it’s a clever workaround that keeps Iron Man’s sacrifice intact while staying true to Marvel Comics’ source material.
Ironheart Show Cast & Marvel Character Guide
Following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart will explore Riri Williams’s story with a talented new cast joining the MCU.
Why Ironheart Is The Perfect Project For Tony Stark’s Return
Not much is yet known about the Ironheart series despite its completion of filming way back in 2022. However, it’s possible to look to the comics for a hint at what Riri William’s small-screen debut might entail. After the prodigy had to leave her latest and most advanced suit of armor in Wakanda following the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it seems likely that part of the show’s plot will revolve around her trying to reproduce her work without the help of Wakandan tech. It’s there that Stark could re-appear in spirit.
Despite Ironheart wrapping filming in 2022, the show still doesn’t have an announced release date. It is expected to be released sometime in 2024, but nothing is official.
In Marvel Comics, Riri Williams takes up the mantle of Ironheart while Tony is in a coma following the “Civil War 2” storyline. During that time, an AI version of Stark aids the young hero as she grows and learns. It’s not hard to imagine that, at some point, the snarky and often egotistical Stark may have created an AI in his own image (besides the disaster that was Ultron). While including a digital Tony may overshadow Riri if he’s a mainstay throughout Ironheart, he could easily pop up for a few fun scenes.
Source: marvels.wolverine/Instagram
