Marvel has just added a new twist to Iron Man's origin story in the MCU, filling in some gaps about his past, hinting at some fascinating things about the original. Iron Man film. 16 years later, Iron Man is still a cornerstone of the MCU timeline and its success, and not just because it was the film that started it all. With figures like Ironheart, Spider-Man, and War Machine set to serve as Iron Man's successors and his legacy in upcoming MCU films and shows, it's safe to say that Iron Man's story remains pivotal even long after Iron Man's death. character.
In fact, the franchise has proven itself adept at having releases that retroactively update Iron Man's history – for example, with Stark's EDITH glasses in Spider-Man: Far From Homethat Tony left for Peter Parker in the hopes that the young hero would be able to use them effectively and morally. With that said, perhaps the most interesting update in Iron Man's MCU history has arrived in 2024, with a plot twist hinting at some important things about Iron Man's first villain and the full extent of his history with the Stark family. .
What if Season 3 reveals more about the Starks' murder
And if…? Season 3, Episode 3 sees Red Guardian enter the fray of the events that led to Howard and Maria Stark's deaths at the hands of the Winter Soldier, stopping him from killing the Starks and leading to a chain of events that sees both protagonists become turn against HYDRA and the Red Room. One of the main events leading up to this point is the pair's encounter with “The Rook”, who the Red Guardian believes to be a high-ranking Soviet agent.
However, it is quickly revealed that “The Rook” is not working on the revolution Alexei hopes for, but rather Obadiah Stane in a bathrobe. Stane explains that he provided the Red Room with information about the Super Soldier Serum that Howard Stark recreated and that led to HYDRA killing Howard and his wife Maria.stating: “I traded with the Russians some information about Stark's great serum, a little tit for tat, and in return, I should be giving the idiot a tearful eulogy right now while they scrape his name from Stark Industries.
And it turns out that Tony Stark always blamed the wrong person for his parents' murder.
In the main MCU storyline, Tony blames Bucky Barnes for his parents' deaths – a move that is fair given that Bucky carried out their murders, but complicated in the sense that Barnes was a brainwashed HYDRA assassin who essentially had no free will to act. reject your orders. However, if And if…? If Season 3 Episode 3 is to be believed, the person Iron Man really should have been blaming was much closer to home, as HYDRA only knew about the Super Soldier Serum that Howard Stark had in the first place because of Obadiah Stane.
This concept adds fascinating layers to Iron Man's MCU story, as in the main universe, it appears that Tony remained entirely unaware of his quasi-mentor-turned-first-villain's involvement in Howard and Maria's deaths. Not only would this help to further absolve Bucky of responsibility – as he would even more clearly be the fault of machinations that were out of his control – but it would also make the original Iron Man film even more important, since And if…? suggests that Tony may have already taken revenge on the person who was most directly responsible for the plan to kill his parents – just without knowing it.
Iron Man is the first film in the long-running Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, who becomes Iron Man after being kidnapped and discovering that terrorists are using weapons developed by Stark Industries. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Pepper Potts, Tony's love interest, alongside Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan and Jeff Bridges as the villainous Obadiah Stane.
-
- Release date
-
February 14, 2025
-
-
- Release date
-
July 25, 2025
-
-
- Release date
-
July 24, 2026
-