Early in the Avengers’ iconic MCU career, one quote uttered by Captain America informed every one of the Avengers‘ Stories, except the revenge it was said to. Marvel first assembled the eponymous team in 2012’s The Avengers, taking a bold step as it grouped multiple larger-than-life superheroes in what would become a standard-setting superhero team-up spectacle. The movie excelled at emulating the success of team-up movies like 2000’s X-Men, proving that multiple superheroes can be involved in a compelling story without it feeling overstuffed.
Part of what made the story so compelling is the presence of conflict within the Avengers team, which makes their eventual meeting together during the climax of the movie even more satisfying to watch. The conflict appeared when Loki allowed himself to be captured and taken aboard the helicarrier, where the mind stone began to affect the Avengers’ cause, causing them all to become antagonists. This is also where the long-standing rivalry between the Avengers’ two most prominent members, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, began.
Captain America’s Avengers quote explained
Captain America doubted Iron Man’s bravery
During this scene was where Tony Stark uttered the famous “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist“, referring to Captain America’s line “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that away, what are you??“This almost preceded the two founding Avengers when Cap loses patience with Tony’s irreverence in the threat that Hulk poses, while Tony resents Cap’s assumed authority. Received means that Cap still poses a significant threat with or without it.
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Tony, meanwhile, boasts no such superpowers, though He makes a good point with his list of armor-less qualities. Regardless, Kapp’s quote goes much deeper than a simple jibe, following the observation “You are not the guy to play the victim, lie on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.“With this, it becomes clear that Cap is talking about Tony Stark’s ability to be a hero from behind his suit of armor. Tony would, of course, continue to prove Steve wrong, but would primarily do so in his armor.
Marvel excluded Cap’s Iron Man offense for almost every Avenger
Each avenger lost a defining feature
While the line was part of a short sequence in The Avengerseach of The strongest members would face versions of themselves without their own.”Suits of armor“At multiple points throughout the Infinity Saga. In any case, they proved themselves to be worthy heroes, even if they were somewhat disgraced. That is except for Tony Stark, whose ties to his armor remained a defining feature that persisted even after he destroyed his vast collection of suits at the end of Iron Man 3.
First revenge |
Defining feature that is missing |
MCU movie |
---|---|---|
Steve Rogers |
Shield/powers |
Captain America: Civil War (End) / Avengers: Infinity War / What if… Captain Carter is the first Avenger? |
Thor |
Mjolnir |
Thor: Ragnarok |
Bruce Banner |
Hulk |
Avengers: Infinity War |
Natasha Romanoff |
Family |
Avengers: Endgame / Black Widow |
Clint Barton |
Heart |
The Avengers |
While Hawkeye and Black Widow are kitted out with gadgets, they’ve both lost less tangible but no less defining features at key points in the MCU. Now, in the multiverse saga, the characters have each demonstrated who they are behind their equipment or defining characteristics, bringing their arcs full circle. Tony, meanwhile, remained attached to his armor until the very end – which could be anything Avengers: Doomsday Or Avengers: Secret Wars Will address. With that in mind, it’s safe to say Capp’s words stuck with him.
Iron Man is still haunted by Cap’s insult for years
Tony Stark always wondered if he was okay
After Cap’s accusation that Tony was incapable of sacrifice, Tony would spend the rest of his MCU career attempting to prove otherwise. The Avengers Saw Tony soaring into deep space with a nuke and nearly losing his life in the process, while Avengers: Endgame Ended Tony Stark’s MCU arc as he made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of Earth and half the universe. At the heart of all this was Tony’s struggle with the idea of whether he was a good person under his suit of armor.
This would manifest in him signing the Sokovia Accords and fighting to have Cap do the same, feeling guilty over the Avengers’ lack of oversight. He would also attempt to create a “Suit of armor around the world” with Ultron. His antics backfired in both cases as his actions severely wounded his best friend and unleashed Ultron on the world. While Tony may have wrestled with Cap’s words for several years, however, it can be safely assumed that he died knowing That he did what was right.