Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man kickstarted the MCU and became the first known superhero of what would go on to become the biggest superhero franchise of all time. Tony Stark / Iron Man is the most iconic and beloved MCU superhero, particularly because of his character arc that sees the genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist become the most selfless hero.
However, a new conspiracy theory shared on Reddit by a fan paints Stark’s actions in a completely new light. The theory highlights how Stark benefitted by creating Iron Man and all his seemingly selfless actions were for his gain. Moreover, the theory puts forth the idea that Iron Man might just be the greatest supervillain in the MCU, and here is how.
MCU Conspiracy Theory Highlights Tony Stark’s Out-of-the-Box Plan
After nearly fifteen years, the MCU feels like an ecosystem, which allows viewers to craft compelling theories to fill in the blanks or predict the franchise’s future. However, a recent Reddit thread was dedicated to uncovering some of the darker theories as fans presented their conspiracy theories about the MCU.
User @Weremutt2412 put forth an interesting conspiracy theory about Robert Downey Jr‘s Tony Stark. The theory talks about Stark’s planning, strategies, and PR work which made him a hero in the public when he only worked for personal gains.
“Major world incidents have increased exponentially since Tony became Iron Man, and in most of those incidents, the Avengers (both as individuals and as a team) have been involved. The correlation is very prominent, so a conspiracy theorist could say that Tony Stark is such an out-of-the-box strategist, businessman, and is excellent at PR.”
The user states the above as the basis of their conspiracy theory before adding that Stark planned his abduction and used it to become a superhero in the public eye so he could privatize world peace. The user also adds that Stark controlled the media so that it would appear as if he killed a Russian terrorist, referencing the events of Iron Man 2.
The Theory Makes Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man the Biggest Threat to the MCU
The theory also highlights how Stark created the Department of Damage Control in the aftermath of the Battle of New York to gain access to advanced alien technology. The user then adds a sinister spin to the conspiracy theory by making Iron Man the culprit of Ultron’s attempt to take over the planet. However, after things go too far, Stark supports the Sokovia Accords to control and regulate superhero actions in the world.
The darkest addition to the theory is the user’s suggestion that it was Iron Man who snapped and wiped out half the population instead of Thanos. While the latter part of the theory is unsubstantiated given the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the wackiness of the entire idea makes this a fun conspiracy theory, the kind J. Jonah Jameson would be proud of.
The theory presents a general idea of how Tony Stark / Iron Man is the ultimate puppet master of the MCU, but there is little evidence to suggest that his actions were evil. Nonetheless, the theory presents a compelling reinspection of Stark’s actions and makes a strong case for an analysis of paid PR and biased media, which are prevalent issues in the real world. Hence, Tony Stark masterminding the world events for personal gain is at least in theory, a fun idea to explore.
You watch Tony Stark’s journey from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame on Disney+.
