Russo brothers once considered killing Iron Man early in Avengers: Infinity War

In interviews, the Russo brothers explained they briefly entertained the idea of killing Iron Man during the production of Avengers: Infinity War, seeing it as a surprising twist. Joe Russo said the team thought, "They don’t expect it; this could be the best place to do it," but later realized they would need a way to bring the character back for the next film.

The decision was postponed, and Iron Man’s heroic sacrifice instead occurs at the climax of Avengers: Endgame, giving Robert Downey Jr. a fitting farewell. The actors also noted that Downey Jr. will return later in the year as the villain Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

These comments were reported in spoiler‑laden features across German, French and Norwegian media.