The True Hero of the MCU: A Tribute and Defense Regarding Tony Stark
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I never set out to like superheroes.
I didn't watch the first Avengers movie on a plane at the age of 13 because I cared much, or because I knew much about the characters, or for any reason, really. It was a movie I had never seen before. It looked interesting. My parents weren't particularly happy that I watched it so young, but then, what can you do?
That first time, I never connected with any of the characters. I watched Age of Ultron, the Winter Soldier, Avengers again. I feel like I remember, at one point, telling my mom, "Iron Man is funny, but he's so rude!" That was probably my first real impression of him. Funny, but rude.
Then I watched Avengers again. And I realized I liked this funny but rude philanthropist, genius, playboy, billionaire in the fancy suit. He cracked better jokes than Steve Rogers. He was more interesting than Black Widow. And then the scene at the end, with the nuke--he proved himself selfless in a time of great need.
I watched Age of Ultron again. I saw a man who didn't just want to stop crime. He wanted safety. He was so desperate for safety that he built a machine that destroyed everything, and he silently blamed himself, while still joking it off.
I watched Civil War and saw a man who was broken beyond repair, turned on by all his friends, left alone. A man who made a mistake and tried to fix it and only made a worse mistake. A man who was not out for renown, a man who was no longer arrogant.
I watched Iron Man and saw the backstory of this character--a man who had been horrible, and rude, and who grew into something better.
I watched Iron Man 3 and got my heart crushed by the weight of PTSD and sorrow and this man who decided that he could be a superhero even without his "powers".
And I watched Infinity War and saw a man ready to sacrifice himself to save the universe.
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| Credit to Nicole Dust for sending this one to me; photo from Pinterest |
I'm not saying that Tony Stark is perfect. But I'm saying he never tries to justify the things he does. My apologies to Team Cap people, but Captain America is so self-righteous that even Ultron calls him, sarcastically, "God's righteous man." Captain America does the wrong thing and justifies it by saying "Well, I was doing it for all the right reasons!" I don't want this to turn into a bash-Steve-Rogers session, because I do believe that Steve Rogers is a good character in his own right.
But I do think that the entire MCU and the majority of the fanbase is biased toward Steve, and as a result, they have made Tony the villain.
Tony Stark is not the villain of the MCU. Tony Stark is, honestly, the hero. He takes fire in a way few others ever have, even within Marvel movies. The only one I can think of (and there may be others, but I haven't seen allll the MCU movies, i.e. Guardians and Ant-Man) who even comes close to Tony's level of sacrifice is, of all people, Doctor Strange.
Tony Stark fights off both his inner demons and the earth's enemies and he does so in silence. He cracks jokes and makes witticisms and everyone thinks it's because he's a shallow, arrogant jerk. He isn't. He uses it as a coping mechanism.
You can count on this--Tony Stark will be the one who defeats Thanos. I don't care about no Captain Marvel; I don't care about no newly-powerful Thor (although, goodness gracious, can we talk about newly-powered Thor? TALK ABOUT HOTTIE. *fans self*). I don't think it's going to be Steve who's the most important in the end; I don't think it's going to be Hulk.
I think it will be Tony.
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Tony Stark is a complex, deep, well-written character. He has been cast as the villain in movies like Civil War and Age of Ultron; he has been reviled by critics, fans, and other characters alike. He is not perfect. He has many, many flaws. But that's what makes him human.
He's a human who started out as an egotistical jerk and has had a character arc that brought him to that moment. You know the one in Infinity War. That's not the end of his character arc, either. He may well die in Endgame. I'm prepared for that. It seems very likely.
But you know what? That's okay. Because he's the hero.
And he'll live on forever in our hearts.
33 comments
Wow. Wow wow wow wow wow. I am a professed Team Cap. But DAAAANNNNG, this was an awesome post.
ReplyDelete(Also I WILL NEVER GET OVER THAT PICTURE.)
Personally, I can’t watch the Iron Man movies, especially the first one. I just can’t stand him in those movies. But I’ve found that he gets better as the MCU goes along - and he actually TRIES to improve himself.
And honestly? I kind of hope that, in the end, despite all the rivalry against each other, Captain America and Iron Man team up one last time and take down Thanos together. (I agree - Captain Marvel can’t do it all herself, and if she does, I’ll be disappointed.)
Amazing post, Faith! I’ll stop rambling now. ;)
THAT PICTURE IS THE ACTUAL BEST THING THANK YOU FOR SENDING IT.
DeleteHe does get better. <3 My sweet Tony boi.
That would be beautiful. Talk about redemption arcs.
Thank you, Nicole <3
Nobody:
ReplyDeleteNobody:
Faith: IRON MAN FOR LYFE!!!!!
xD xD
So, everyone at my work and a lot of people on the blog are all going crazy over Marvel stuff lately. And I'm just sitting here, a person who doesn't watch any of these things, but will always be Team Cap. (Sorry... I like Iron Man, too.) But anyway, I like how you describe the character because it really inspires me to write a deep character like that. (plot bunnies surrounding me about a couple unsuspecting Uprising characters who's hearts are about to shatter.) MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Anyway, lovely post! <3
Ivie. Don't call me out on my own post. That's unethical. xD
DeleteBut hey, I totally understand that struggle. And if I've succeeded in making you want to write deep characters, then WHOA I'M A SUCCESS AT LIFING. xD
Thanks! <3
As a fellow Stark-is-better-than-Steve Marvel fangirl I LOVE THIS POST *applause applause applause* *much applause* Stark is the best
ReplyDeleteHaha yisssss.
DeleteNice post! I do like Tony Stark better than Captain America. Though I think my favorite superhero is Ant Man. ;)
ReplyDeleteastorydetective.blogspot.com
I love Ant Man myself! ;)
DeleteI one hundred million percent agree with this. Whenever I try to tell my fam how Tony is actually the main character on the MCU my brother and sister argue that it is Cap, my mom says it's Thor. And I'm just like, they didn't start it off. I relate to Tony in an extremely deep level. We ENTPs have to stick together, you know? Now I need one in defense of my poor son Peter Quill. It isn't his fault!!!
ReplyDeleteYESSSSSS XD I think my mom would kill me if I wrote a defense of Quill? And I haven't seen enough Guardians movies to be able to. xD But I'm glad you liked this one! <3
DeleteYAAAAASSSS!!!!! I love Tony so much.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I was Team Cap was because I didn't think that Bucky should have been put in prison (he was freaking brainwashed, a POW). Though in the end I love all of them because they're all just trying to do what they think is best. Each one made human by their guesses at wisdom.
I am bracing myself for Endgame in fear. Ugh!!!
Yessssss. I love him.
DeleteYeah, the humanity is one of my favorite things about the MCU. I love it.
And SAME. Seeing it today and just aSAdDJFKDJGHSDJ.
aw, interesting post, Faith! i am, 100%, #TeamCap, but i do agree that a part of the Marvel fandom does tend towards unfairly villainizing (geez is that a word?) Tony. the reason why i'm Team Cap is that i 100% don't support the Sokovia Accords (the thought that the government / UN / etc. could control who the superheroes could fight, etc. is disturbing, & could easily be misused. especially so soon after it was revealed that Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.) tho i see why Tony would think that it's a good idea, but still.....*takes deep breath* aaandddd i'll have to respectfully disagree that Steve is self-righteous. but i respect your viewpoint. <3 <3 sorry, i get very protective of Steve Rogers, xD.
ReplyDeletealso, #TeamCap forever bc of how they were ready, even planning, to kill Bucky, without giving him a trial or anything. the orders were to shoot on sight, even though Bucky had been brainwashed & was suffering from PTSD as well.
i really didn't like Tony in the first & second Iron Man movies (still haven't seen the 3rd one). in those movies, he's a very playboy / shallow character, at least on the outside. but i agree, he has grown so much since those early movies, and i loved his role in Spider-Man: Homecoming & Infinity War. he's truly becoming a father figure to Peter, and i really hope that he and Pepper can have a kid. he better not die in Endgame.
also i really really really hope that in Endgame, Tony & Steve take down Thanos, together. i'm hoping for some big, dramatic moment where Tony hands Steve his shield (bc he has it, from Civil War), and they fight, side by side.
[ apologies for such a monster post, but i'm such a Marvel geek that i just had to type all my messy, fangirly thoughts, xD. ]
Oh, I love the geeky fangirly thoughts! XD
DeleteI love the third Iron Man movie so much because it really goes so deep into the depths of his character and deals with his PTSD on such a raw and heartbreaking level. But I agree about the first two.
And I definitely don't agree with the Sokovia accords myself. I hate the politics of Civil War (actually, let's be honest, I hate everything about Civil War xD)
I really, really hope that happens too. <3 I want my bois to fight together and remember that even if they aren't friends, they're teammates. <3
Wow. I don't know what side of the internet I've been on, but I was NOT aware Tony got a lot of hate??? I thought he was universally loved. o.o In fact, my brother and I always joke how the Avenger movies are still sort of Iron Man movies in disguise, because they tend to focus most on him. Which neither of us complain about a bit. We both LOVE Tony. And I thought everyone did. Have I been living some kind of delusion??? Why would people hate Tony?! D: I'm basically Team Cap AND Team Tony, so you can only imagine how painful Civil War was for me. D': Like, I leaned half a fraction toward Cap's side, but Tony made some good points too. And just UGH. IT HURT.
ReplyDeleteANYWAYS. YES. Tony is a wonderful hero! He definitely had to grow, but that's what makes him so good! He had suuuuuch a powerful character arc and just akdjfljkdjf I LOVE HIM.
I also totally agree that Tony will be the one to defeat Thanos. Or at least one of the biggest reasons Thanos is defeated. Mainly because...
[SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN IT]
Dr. Strange gave Thanos the infinity stone so Thanos wouldn't kill Tony. I do not think for a single second that was some sympathetic gesture on Strange's part. He'd seen the future, he knew what it'd take to win. He KNEW the ONLY way they would win was if Tony was alive. So that right there clearly tells you Tony is gonna save the day. And just... :') MY BOY.
[END OF INFINITY WAR SPOILERS]
ANYWAYS. Yes. Even though I like Steve sliiiiiiightly more. I still adore Tony with all my heart and soul, and have since the first Iron Man movie first came out. (Although I don't get why we're allowed to only love one or the other? Lol. I LOVE THEM BOTH OKAY.)
I ALSO LOVED THIS POST! Even though now I have Tony feels... But I always have Tony feels, so what's new? XD
He does, actually! And it makes me so sad because he's SUCH a great character and I looooove him. Civil War hurt me physically because I could understand where both of them were coming from and just asdfjkl;gh I love them both. But Tony way more. xD
DeleteHis character arc is why I love him so much! Give me alllll the tortured character arcs. <3
Oh yeah, it wasn't sympathy on Strange's part at all. That's not who Strange is. He knew, and that's definitely why, and I have a feeling it's going to END ME. *bawls*
I LOVE THEM BOTH TOOOOO! But mostly back when Steve was an adorable nerd, before he got all hardcore and grumpy. xD
Ahh, good, so I'm not alone in the "constantly bawling over Tony" camp xD Thank you!!!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFinally, someone who loves Tony Stark's character just as much as I DOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And someone who doesn't swoon over Captain America's hair, but realizes he's kind of a self-righteous jerk at times and should probably shut up every once in a while.
Basically, I can't even right now and if you ever need someone to fangirl with, I'm so there!
AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH yay!!!! *screams excitedly*
DeleteYES THANK YOU. He needs to stop talking every now and then. *shakes head*
YAY! I will definitely hit you up for that. ;)
Tony is great!! I have yet to see the Iron Man movies, though... Still need to do that. :P
ReplyDeleteThey're so good! Tony is my boi.
DeleteThis is beautiful. Tony Stark is amazing, and I'm glad you appreciate him as much as I do.
ReplyDeleteThank you! <3 He's my favorite.
DeleteOkay, I've always been #TeamCap, but this post really made me think just how much of a hero Tony is. I have a lot of trouble getting past the arrogant playboy shell, to be honest, but I did see some softening come Infinity War so maybe he isn't so bad after all....
ReplyDeleteIt's 100% a shell, believe me ;)
DeleteAnd ahhh I'm so glad you liked this post! <3
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS POST. Tony is a hero, no matter what anyone says, and that is a statement I can get behind. He's proved himself time and time again that he has a heart.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of sad, what with Endgame out now, and the entire Avengers franchise finally ending, but I think it's a good kind of sad. I'll always love these movies, and I'll always love Tony Stark. A++ post! :D
YOU ARE SO WELCOME. And thank YOU! I love him so very very much. My sweet. <3
DeleteSO! MUCH! YES!
ReplyDelete!!!!!! <3
DeleteI love Tony Stark, as well, he has a great character arc. It reminds me of a character in my all-time favorite TV show: she's the best pilot and fighter, and she KNOWS she's the best, she has anger issues, she's super cocky and sarcastic but in the end she's a strong, resilient, loving woman who would easily die for the people she loves, and the causes she believes in. She will always go back to make sure everybody else doesn't get hurt. So, she is the sassy, kickbutt character who has a really good heart. Honestly, TV series and movies need to do a better job of showing cocky characters as more than just the villain, or 'the jerk' because it doesn't define them.
ReplyDeleteI love all of this! I 100% agree. He's sarcastic, but I will always love sarcasm with depth. <3
DeleteUgh, I have the worst habit of thinking that I commented but in fact I never did. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, THIS POST. I love all of the points that you made! For years I have heard about Iron Man, but didn't care. Last year I saw Spider-man: Homecoming, and he was in it, so I thought that I would start with the original movie. 10 minutes in and I hated it. But, by the end I loved it. Tony Stark is the best. After watching other Marvel movies with my sisters, they decided that they didn't like Tony. WHAT?? I have finally gotten them to see straight, but it took long enough.
Oh, that's totally okay xD
DeleteYes! I'm so glad you liked his movies ;) I felt the same way about his first one. Didn't love it at first, but by the end...ooooh, child. <3
Having pretty much never seen an avenger movie all the way through as well as now knowing how this plot ends (cause end game)...I honestly can’t agree more. I’ve always felt more connected and emotionally invested in Iron Man/Tony Stark just because he’s sarcastic (meee), but also cause I knew he had something deeper inside of him...something that probably made him broken. So reading this post basically just confirmed that I will always and forever be Team Iron Man...even if I never watch the movies.
ReplyDeleteHello, friends! Do make yourselves comfortable and stay for a while--I'd love to chat with you! I simply ask that you keep it clean. :)