It has been 15 years since Robert Downey Jr. starred in Iron Man, the movie that paved the way for Marvel Cinematic Universe, and yet it still gives fans little crumbs of details and clues that lead to a bigger picture. The 2008 film kick-started the rise of the Avengers as well as famous villains, like the almighty Thanos.
Although there’s one bad guy that many would easily dismiss but actually played a vital role in the entire MCU saga. Obadiah Stane, portrayed by Jeff Bridges, served as the main antagonist in Iron Man and is now the center of debate with regard to his real identity.
Obadiah Stane Might Have Been A HYDRA Member All Along
A new Reddit theory posted by Infinite_Parking_800 claims that Obadiah Stane was a part of HYDRA. Fans would recall that the sinister group is the culprit behind several crimes in the MCU, most particularly the death of Tony Stark’s parents.
Another user, DJZbad93, pointed out the possibility of the theory and said:
“It’s certainly possible. HYDRA would certainly want control of a large weapons manufacturer like Stark Industries. Plus, we know HYDRA/Winter Soldier killed Howard Stark which is how Obadiah became the CEO (until Tony took over).”
While this plot is not adopted as a canon and Stane only had limited exposure as a villain, this serves as a great point and a hint that would eventually put a solid base for the succeeding actions of HYDRA.
Since the evil organization is responsible for Howard and Maria’s deaths as revealed in Captain America: Civil War, this allowed Stane to take full control of the Stark Industries. This privilege gave him the power to illegally ship arms without Stark’s knowledge.
On the other hand, a comment from user Dragonlicker69 suggested that he could merely be a willing accomplice:
“I don’t think he was a member, but definitely was willing to work with them unlike Howard Stark. He probably made a lot of deals with SHIELD that Hydra facilitated. Taking payments under the table to provide funding and resources for secret facilities.”
This means that Stane might have also unknowingly helped HYDRA and was merely doing his job for the sake of money and power. In the long run, had Stark never killed him, he could have established his true allegiance in the narrative and would have been revealed later on as a HYDRA member.
Obadiah Stane’s Possible Link To HYDRA Makes Ten Rings Narrative More Interesting
It was also in Iron Man where fans first heard of the Ten Rings, a terrorist organization with an intriguing link to Obadiah Stane. The heavily armed group has expressed a fascination for Stark’s technology, forcing the man and his newfound prisoner friend Ho Yinsen to build them a missile while in captivity.
Obadiah Stane has been secretly arming the Ten Rings and even struck a deal with them to murder Stark. While there is little information on the relationship between HYDRA and the Ten Rings, it is possible that the corrupt arms dealer is acting at the behest of the former while using the latter to do the assassination on his behalf.
Source: Reddit
