MCU’s Iron Man has been one of the most important and beloved characters in the Marvel universe, perhaps because of Robert Downey Jr’s performance. But several fans believe that apart from Downey Jr’s work, there are a few scenes and characters in the movie that completely transform the hero’s story in the franchise, and give birth to many fan theories.
One such epic example of an Iron Man fan theory surrounds a major Daredevil character. Paving the way in Iron Man’s MCU timeline, a character appears as a reporter by the name of Ben, in Stark’s press conference at the end of Jon Favreau’s Iron Man. Now, bizarre theories suggest that it could be Ben Urich from the Daredevil universe who was brutally murdered by Kingpin. Did Iron Man really resurrect this Daredevil character?
Did Ben Urich Supposedly Appear in Iron Man?
Recalling the earliest MCU phase and the first ever standalone Iron Man movie, there appeared a theory that made fans optimistic about a merge in timelines. According to an ending scene in Jon Favreau’s movie during Tony Stark’s press conference where he addresses a reporter as Ben, fans believe the character is perhaps from a different timeline.
Interesting theories surrounding Robert Downey Jr‘s Iron Man suggested that the reporter named Ben could be none other than Ben Urich from Daredevil. Connecting the very moment to other Marvel Comics characters, fan theories gave birth to a supposed merge in timelines. Linking Downey Jr’s Iron Man to other Marvel heroes like Daredevil in the process, fans supposedly made groundbreaking revelations.
However, according to ScreenRant, this particular theory isn’t the most groundbreaking revelation. But surprisingly adamant fans seem to put forward an argumentative suggestion that Iron Man was once intended to link more directly to Daredevil in MCU. Thus catering to that argument, this particular fan theory seemingly suggested that Iron Man resurrected Ben Urich.
Fan Theories Suggest Resurrection of the Daredevil Character
According to Daredevil timeline, which initially debuted on Netflix as a part of MCU, sharing continuity with the franchise’s films, the show featured Vondie Curtis-Hall as The Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich. Investigating crimes in New York City and the disappearance of Daredevil, whom he believed was Matt Murdock, Ben came across suspicious activity surrounding Wilson Fisk.
Eventually, his knowledge about Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin led to Ben Urich’s demise. According to the show, after Ben contacted Fisk’s mother, Kingpin single-handedly orchestrated and conducted an attack on the reporter. Ambushing him at his apartment and strangling him to death with his bare hands as retaliation for speaking to Marlene, Fisk eventually kills Ben in season 1 episode 12 of Daredevil.
But despite Ben Urich’s death in Daredevil’s timeline, fan theory claimed that the reporter is there in the MCU, which got confirmation after a reporter named Ben appeared in Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man. Although Jon Favreau’s movie appeared way before Daredevil hit Netflix, fans believe this was a supposed Easter Egg.
The Iron Man Fan Theory Comes with Plot Holes
While fans seem adamant about the theory suggesting Ben Urich’s resurrection in MCU’s Iron Man movie, it seems to pull out a major plot hole. Previously Marvel confirmed that Netflix’s Marvel shows are a part of MCU. But this particular Ben Urich fan theory seems to imply that the Netflix Defenders-verse universe is different from the MCU.
This is particularly where the theory makes no sense since Marvel did say the Netflix-verse is canon to the MCU as per CBR. But if we go by the fan theory, it suggests that the Netflix Marvel heroes we see and will be seeing in the MCU are multiverse variants, as in they are not the same.
