Up until the end of Avengers: Endgame (and maybe a little after, in all honesty), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) was the main character of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While he took prominent roles across The Avengers franchise and other films in the MCU, he also had a pretty decent trilogy of films. One of which started the cinematic universe in the first place.
It was in the said trilogy that Tony Stark, the Armored Avenger, had some of his best moments across the MCU. Whether it be the line that set up the MCU for the success it has today, or just an all-around cool action sequence that is super exciting, Iron Man is a titan of the MCU and has proven himself more than once in his own trilogy.
10
The Cave Breakout
‘Iron Man’ (2008)
Tony Stark has one of the coolest origin stories in superhero cinema. No one else gets captured by a terror group and trapped in a cave where they’re forced to look at the sum of their life’s work and how it’s truly being used. His origin within Iron Man not only depicts this super-cool breakout, but also shows off and establishes how much of a genius the billionaire is.
The iconic quote from later in the film perfectly explains how it shows off his intellect, said by Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges): “Tony Stark built this in a cave! With a box of scraps!” With barely any equipment, Stark manages to build his Mark I armor and break out of the cave, being bulletproof, equipped with flamethrowers, and eventually able to fly away. Not to mention, the score by Ramin Djawadi over the armor-building sequence “Tickets to Kill a Prince”, is one of the best in the MCU and truly defines the Armored Avenger.
Iron Man
- Release Date
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May 2, 2008
- Runtime
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126 minutes
9
“I have successfully privatized world peace!”
‘Iron Man 2’ (2010)
The beginning of the first act of Iron Man 2 features a scene that perfectly depicts Tony’s dislike for authority and his impact on the world since the first film. He’s brought to court over whether his actions as Iron Man make him a threat to the world or not. While it may seem initially like they have something over him, he absolutely wipes the floor with the committee and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) by exposing Hammer for being part of the said outside threats trying to replicate Stark’s technology.
Not only is this some great worldbuilding, but it also sets up the very brash and disrespectful nature of Stark that has continued to grow since Iron Man. He’s really going through it in the sequel and this is a fun way to show not just his flaws but how he’s unhealthily dealing with his inner demons (it’s also awesome to see him tell the government to screw off).
Iron Man 2
- Release Date
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May 7, 2010
- Runtime
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124 minutes
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Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark
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Gwyneth Paltrow
Pepper Potts
8
The House Party Protocol
‘Iron Man 3’ (2013)
While Iron Man 3 doesn’t feature a lot of Tony in armor for the second act of the film, the final battle of the movie makes up for it (if it was even bad in the first place), with the hero activating what he calls the “House Party Protocol”, which brings dozens upon dozens of remote controlled Iron Man armors to aid them in battle. With each armor having a different use than the other, their inclusion helps the action feel dynamic.
With Tony hopping between different suits and J.A.R.V.I.S. (Paul Bettany) controlling the rest, there is so much to watch and enjoy about this final battle. Additionally, the lives of both the President of the United States (William Sadler) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) are at stake. The fight is a great way to cap off the final film in this trilogy.
Iron Man 3
- Release Date
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May 3, 2013
- Runtime
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130 Mins
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Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark
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Gwyneth Paltrow
Pepper Potts
7
Pepper Helps Tony Out
‘Iron Man’ (2008)
After Tony comes home after being missing for so long, Pepper gets to see the harsh truth of his life post-cave. He needs her help removing something from his chest cavity offers them a sincere moment to add more complexity to their relationship. Tony usually doesn’t need help, and the fact that he asked for it from Pepper is really telling about the way he truly views her.
Tony usually doesn’t need help, and the fact that he asked for it from Pepper is really telling about the way he truly views her.
This is a nice bonding scene that is sweet and makes their relationship feel a lot more genuine and raw than it had felt before. They have a very special dynamic, and this is a great representation of it. They love each other but can still be rough around the edges with the other and have them, well, reach inside their chest to pull out some metal.
6
The Plane Rescue
‘Iron Man 3’ (2013)
While the House Party Protocol scene was cool, the best scene in Iron Man 3 is, by far, the airplane rescue. When Air Force One begins to fall from the sky because the Mandarin’s (Ben Kingsley) men kidnapped the President, it’s up to Iron Man to save all the staff that were sucked out of the plane and are now free-falling to their imminent deaths.
Tony manages to do it at the last minute and save the entire crew.
He has to navigate through the air to grab each one from the air and coordinate them so they link together. It’s a thrilling scene that is nail-biting as audiences watch these terrified people attempt to keep their composure to save their lives. Tony manages to do it at the last minute and save the entire crew. It’s a super dynamic sequence and one that doesn’t really happen in the MCU too often. Most action sequences in the MCU feature a hero fighting someone, not typically a scene that is solely dedicated to saving civilians.
5
Iron Man Teams Up With War Machine
‘Iron Man 2’ (2010)
The final battle of Iron Man 2 debuts the one and only War Machine (Don Cheadle), aka James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Tony’s best friend. After gaining control of the suit after being manipulated, War Machine teams up with Tony to stop the Hammer Drones and, eventually, Whiplash (Mickey Rourke). Getting to see these two best friends finally work together in this whole new way is a great sight.
Despite never having fought together like this, they work together like they’ve been partners for years…
It’s a shame that he never really got to team up with War Machine again after this, but fans will always have this scene to look back on. Despite never having fought together like this, they work together like they’ve been partners for years, and it’s another testament to their strong friendship. They also have far different fighting styles, which are showcased here.
4
The Mark V Suit-Up
‘Iron Man 2’ (2010)
Everyone knows about this scene. It’s easily one of the most iconic suit-ups of an Iron Man armor in the MCU. The Mark V, also known as “The Suitcase Armor”, comes to Tony’s aid when Whiplash attacks, and he’s without an armor. Disguised in the form of a suitcase, Tony equips it in one of the most badass suit reveals in the MCU and, obviously, the Iron Man trilogy as a whole.
The Mark V, also known as “The Suitcase Armor”, comes to Tony’s aid when Whiplash attacks…
This has been considered one of the best Iron Man trilogy scenes ever since the movie premiered in 2010. A good Iron Man suit-up features armor coming from somewhere people would never expect or something unique (like that helicopter suit-up in Captain America: Civil War). This is the perfect example of that, and the love for it all over the world is the proof in the pudding.
3
The Dog Fight
‘Iron Man’ (2008)
The best way to utilize a hero who can fly, like Iron Man, is to give them scenes with high-flying action. One of the best depictions of this is when Iron Man gets into a dog fight with two military jets in Iron Man. This scene served three pretty big purposes in the Armored Avenger’s first film outing. So not only is it a cool action scene, but it’s genuinely important to the plot.
This scene served three pretty big purposes in the Armored Avenger’s first film outing.
First, this scene shows off Tony’s prowess in the air. Up to this point, he was only shown on the ground saving people. Second, it was the moment he revealed to Rhodey (Terrence Howard) that he’s Iron Man. Tony shouting “It’s me!” and seeing Rhodey’s reaction was an awesome moment. Finally, it showed the military and continued to prove to the audience that Iron Man is a hero, as he saves the pilots.
2
The Mark III Suit-Up
‘Iron Man’ (2008)
When it comes to Iron Man suit-ups, it doesn’t get more iconic than the first true suit-up for Iron Man in the MCU, the Mark III debut. This would be the first time that Stark would don an armor that looks like the one from the comics. That iconic shot of the faceplate closing over RDJ’s face will never be forgotten and goes down in history as one of the most recognizable shots in superhero cinema.
That iconic shot of the faceplate closing over RDJ’s face will never be forgotten…
The score that plays over it is magnificent, and the sequence of shots that make up the scene leads to this being what could arguably be one of the most rewatchable Tony Stark MCU scenes. This scene can easily be considered the birth of Iron Man and, for that, it deserves a spot of high recognition. Not much more can be said that isn’t already obvious about what makes this scene special.
1
“I am Iron Man.”
‘Iron Man’ (2018)
As if any scene could be considered more iconic than the likes of Iron Man‘s ending, in which Tony Stark boldly declares to the world, “I am Iron Man.” This marks an important moment in the MCU, kicking it off to a great start after what was an already great film. It left viewers with their jaws on the floor, begging for whatever was going to come next.
Up until this point, superheroes in movies almost exclusively had secret identities.
This scene is also huge for superhero cinema as a whole. Up until this point, superheroes in movies almost exclusively had secret identities. Spider-Man, Batman, Superman— secret identities all around. So Tony Stark revealing himself to the world was not only influential for the world of the MCU, but for superhero movies to come for the rest of time. It was a major status quo shift.