Iron Man might not be the real MVP of Avengers: Endgame but at least the Russo brothers didn't need a rat's approval of how the film would end. Joe and Anthony Russo have just revealed that they needed to pitch Tony Stark's ultimate fate in the Marvel Cinematic Universe flick to lead star Robert Downey Jr.
The trailer and teasers for Endgame have already hinted at Tony Stark finally ending his career as Iron Man. Nevertheless, fans were heartbroken when Tony sacrificed himself to save the universe. Interestingly, it wasn't easy getting there. Co-director Anthony Russo admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that they needed to make sure Downey would be OK with the idea of killing Tony off.
"We did pitch Robert his arc because he kicked off the entire MCU," Anthony said. "The Tony Stark arc is the longest and perhaps fullest in the MCU. Once we decided we wanted this kind of ending for the character, we certainly wanted to make sure Robert was comfortable with it, just because of his enormous contribution to the MCU. We did pitch it out. We went over to meet with him and we pitched it out to him."
Not surprisingly, Downey may have resisted at first. However, the Avengers: Infinity War star ultimately gave it his blessing.
"A lot of the actors are not opinionated about what we do. They like the fact that we are sort of in control of these stories and we are driving where they should go and we have a vision for where they should go and they trust in that. I think Downey may have had mixed emotions about thinking about [where Tony Stark ends up in Endgame], but I think at the end of the day, he totally accepted it," Anthony said.
It certainly was a tough decision for Downey who had played the character for so long. Nevertheless, he (and fans everywhere) had to agree that it was the best way to conclude Tony's story.
Avengers: Endgame is currently screening in theaters worldwide.
Related: Marvel Might Have Plans For Captain America 4 After Avengers: Endgame Plot Hole
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Avengers: Endgame