A new theory regarding the importance of Tony Stark's Iron Man in the MCU has already been debunked by Deadpool & Wolverine. It's always been known that Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark was one of the most crucial characters in the MCU, not least because he became the franchise's first on-screen superhero in 2008's Iron Man. However, after the release of Deadpool & Wolverine and the reveal of a new multiversal concept, his importance could have sky-rocketed, according to popular new theories.
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Deadpool & Wolverine marked the first appearance of Ryan Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth in the MCU, and also introduced a variant of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, not the one from Fox's X-Men franchise. Jackman portrayed a different version of Wolverine because his original iteration lost his life during 2017's Logan. Deadpool & Wolverine gave this death more meaning, however, as Fox's original Wolverine was revealed to be the Anchor Being of Earth-10005. This confirmation has spurred theories concerning Iron Man's role in the MCU's main timeline.
Tony Stark’s Iron Man Has Been Theorized To Be Earth-616’s Anchor Being
After Logan was revealed to be the Anchor Being of Earth-10005, Deadpool set out to find a Wolverine variant to replace him, hoping to save his world from deterioration. Some have speculated that a similar storyline could be repeated in the MCU's future, especially after Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed to be returning to the MCU as iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom. Theories note that Tony Stark could have been the Anchor Being of Earth-616, which would lead the MCU's heroes to find a variant to replace him - enter Doom.
As the face of the MCU for over a decade, Tony Stark's Iron Man could easily be the Anchor Being of Earth-616. He was a founding member of the Avengers, the team's secondary leader for its entire duration, a mentor to young heroes such as Peter Parker's Spider-Man, and a constant source of innovation and development for the MCU. However, as attractive as this theory may be, and despite it offering a good explanation for Downey Jr.'s debut as Doctor Doom, Deadpool & Wolverine has already proved this speculation false.
|
Tony Stark's MCU Movie |
Year |
|---|---|
|
Iron Man |
2008 |
|
The Incredible Hulk |
2008 |
|
Iron Man 2 |
2010 |
|
The Avengers |
2012 |
|
Iron Man 3 |
2013 |
|
Avengers: Age of Ultron |
2015 |
|
Captain America: Civil War |
2016 |
|
Spider-Man: Homecoming |
2017 |
|
Avengers: Infinity War |
2018 |
|
Avengers: Endgame |
2019 |
Deadpool & Wolverine Makes It Impossible For Iron Man To Be Earth-616’s Anchor Being
Deadpool & Wolverine saw Matthew Macfadyen's Mr. Paradox reveal that the death of an Anchor Being causes the deterioration of their universe until it eventually dies completely. If this Tony Stark theory is true, and he was the Anchor Being of Earth-616, then the MCU's main continuity will already be in the process of deterioration, and this is surely information that the Time Variance Authority would know, given that Earth-616 is still the Sacred Timeline. Because of this, Deadpool & Wolverine means it's impossible for Tony Stark to be Earth-616's Anchor Being.
If the TVA knew that Earth-616 was deteriorating, it doesn't make sense that Mr. Paradox would offer Wade Wilson's Deadpool the chance to make the permanent move from his dying universe to another. Earth-616 must be safe and secure, for now, for Mr. Paradox to make this offer, especially considering Deadpool seems to be of some mysterious importance to the Multiverse Saga's future. All told, this means the Anchor Being of Earth-616 must still be alive, which ensures that it certainly is not Tony Stark's Iron Man.
Who Could Be Earth-616’s Anchor Being If Not Iron Man?
If it's impossible for Tony Stark to be the Anchor Being of Earth-616, then there are several other significant heroes in the MCU who could easily take this role. Perhaps most notably, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange has been given a very prominent role in the Multiverse Saga, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if the Master of the Mystic Arts was confirmed to be an Anchor Being. One popular suggestion names Tom Holland's Spider-Man, but Marvel Studios' deal with Sony Pictures to use the wall-crawler may make it difficult to give him such a pivotal position.
Despite her apparent death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, speculation about Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch's return could be solidified, should she be revealed as Earth-616's Anchor Being. It's also possible this honor could go to other long-running MCU characters, such as Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, Anthony Mackie's Captain America, or even Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. There have also been fun suggestions, such as Madisynn or Happy Hogan, who returned in Deadpool & Wolverine, but only time will tell who the MCU's Anchor Being actually is.
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