In the span of 12 years, RDJ’s Iron Man transformed from being a childish genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist to a selfless savior who ends up sacrificing himself for the greater good. And throughout his journey, Tony Stark kept on learning from his mistakes, as he was quick to re-evaluate his ways after sustaining shortcomings.
This resulted in him coming up with more and more efficient technology with as his MCU story carried on, especially in Iron Man 3, which saw him handling his suits remotely. And while it wasn’t that efficient in Iron Man 3 and was only briefly brought up in Homecoming, this tech might’ve played a far bigger role in Stark’s tenure as the Iron Man.
Tony Stark Might’ve Faked Being Iron Until He Had To
From Iron Man 3 to Homecoming, there was a notable leap in his technology, as in Homecoming, Tony Stark had no problem remotely using his suit to converse with Peter from another corner of the world. And while we never get to witness Tony Stark using his suit remotely again, it’s reasonable to assume that this wasn’t the last time Stark was remotely using his suits. This led to some theorizing that Tony Stark might have faked being Iron Man for years, outside the events that are showcased in the movies, unless he had to.
Furthermore, considering Tony Stark probably would have access to Mysterio’s illusion tech, who was an ex-Stark Industries employee, it might’ve made it easier for Stark to fake his ways. However, considering that Steve Rogers once called out Tony for always being in search of personal glory, heading enemies firsthand despite having the tech fit with his character.
Mark 85’s Wasn’t Made to Ensure Tony Stark’s Survival Said Rdj
While he kept on improving with every installment, especially with his suits, per Robert Downey Jr., his Endgame suit, known as Mark 85, wasn’t made with his own survival in mind. Opposite to his first suit’s purpose, which was designed to ensure that he survived, RDJ implied that the last suit was made so he could make the ultimate sacrifice. He said (via Off Camera with Sam Jones)
“The first suit is all about ‘Will this get me and my ego and my precious physical frame out of this cave I’m in and into the desert, where maybe the cavalry can come get me and bring me back to my stupid life? The last one is not designed to be able to do its job and have you make it past it. So that’s the great, you know, Joseph Campbell mythology of, like, ultimately you go from refusing the call and being a serendipitous hero and by the end you’re willing to give the ultimate sacrifice,”
Although it’s possible that RDJ might’ve avoided engaging in battles until it was necessary and used his remote suits to his advantage, he did go on to make the ultimate sacrifice when required.
