The Russo Brothers Reveal Unexpected Marvel Character Almost Died In ‘Infinity War'

Anthony and Joe Russo confirmed the rumor that they toyed with killing off Iron Man in Avengers: Infinity War. Ultimately, he died in Avengers: Endgame.

At the end of Endgame, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), the hero known as Iron Man, sacrifices his life to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) and save the world. However, he could have died earlier.

In an interview with CBR, the Russo brothers revealed that Iron Man almost did not make it to the fourth film. Rumors have long claimed that the Russos considered killing off Tony Stark early. This theory stemmed from a scene in Infinity War where Thanos stabs Iron Man, which would have given them the perfect opportunity to kill the hero. However, in the third movie, Tony survives the injury.

While writing the Avengers films, it is necessary to "investigate all angles," and that "everythin'gs up for grabs," Joe Russo explained. He continued, "There was a moment where we thought, ‘They're not expecting it. This could be the best place to possibly do it.' But then we'd have to figure out how he could potentially still participate in the next movie."

The directing duo decided instead, "Let's just do it in the next movie." So that's when Tony Stark eventually died.

Endgame premiered in 2019, and now, seven years later, Avengers: Doomsday is fast approaching. Robert Downey Jr. is, in fact, returning for the film, but not as Iron Man. Instead, he will be playing Doctor Doom.

Recasting anyone in the Marvel universe is a big shock, but having the original Marvel Cinematic Universe hero as the face of their newest big bad was a big surprise to fans when it was announced in 2024.

Along with Robert Downey Jr., the newest Avengers movie features a huge list of returning characters, all played by big names. Characters from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the X-Men franchise, and the traditional MCU characters are expected to come together for this movie. In addition, it was recently revealed that Chris Evans would be returning for Avengers: Secret Wars, the planned follow-up to Doomsday.

The Russo brothers are, of course, returning to direct this fifth movie. The pair directed Infinity War and Doomsday, while Joss Whedon directed the first two films in the franchise.

Avengers: Doomsday will premiere December 18, 2026.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 6:37 PM.