Iron Man just set up another Marvel villain origin story years after hisMCUdeath inAvengers: Endgame.The MCU timelinewould have arguably never risen to the heights it has without Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man at the helm - a concept reinforced by the fact thatthe story ofAvengers: Doomsdaywill see the actor return playing Doctor Doom. While much of what made Iron Man’s time in the MCU special was the charisma given to the hero, an equally important part of his appeal was Tony Stark’s character development, which saw him experience considerable growth over his 11-year arc.
Iron Man’s story of a weapons manufacturer who becomes a superhero that eventually gives his life to protect the rest of the universe is one that naturally warrants a lot of personal change over time, which is in no small part generated throughout the franchise via Iron Man confronting villains whose origin story he is partly or entirely responsible for. In fact, the MCU has made something of a habit of introducing a range of antagonists whose origins are tied to Iron Man in some shape or form for well over a decade now - and this has already been continued by the first of2025’s Marvel releases.
Iron Man Was Responsible For A Fair Few Villain Origin Stories Throughout The MCU
Iron Man’s MCU story has historically seen him tied to the origin stories of a range of villainsever since his 2008 debut. While plenty of these are hard to outright fully blame Stark for, even if he helped create them - as antagonists like Obadiah Stane and Justin Hammer were arguably set on this path whatever happened, and Tony simply happened to be the figure they developed a grudge with that made up a core part of their villain origin story - there’s also a fair share of villains whose motivations and plans are a direct result of their time with Stark.
Perhaps the most notable of these villains are that of Ultron - who first appeared inAvengers: Age Of Ultron, and is set to return in the MCU’sVisionshow - and Aldrich Killian,Iron Man 3’s villain. Tony Stark quite literally created Ultron, having sought to make a being that could protect the Earth from threats only to realize his creation also saw humanity as a force to be wiped out. While Killian wasn’t made by Stark, a younger and still more egotistical Tony’s decision to shun the hopeful and talented scientist certainly also plays a big and direct role in his turn to villainy.
Spider-Man: Far From Home’s Mysterio also had a villain origin story tied to Iron Man despite being set afterEndgame, with Quentin Beck resenting Stark taking credit for technology that Beck created.
Indeed, even Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver’s initial villain stories can be seen to have their origins in Iron Man’s earlier life, as it’s revealed that the duo’s parents were killed by Stark Industries mortar shells, which would lead the pair to join HYDRA in the hopes of getting revenge for their murdered family members. Given the specifics of this were revealed inWandaVision- which released after Iron Man’s death inAvengers: Endgameand explored this part of Wanda’s life throughout flashbacks - it’s perhaps not all that surprising that Marvel has tied another villain origin story to Iron Man in 2025.
2025 Ties Iron Man To Another Marvel Villain’s On-Screen Origin Story
The MCU’s first release of 2025 has already managed to tie Iron Man to the villain origin story of one character inYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. While Norman Osborn has been suggested to have a questionable moral code in prior episodes of season 1 - building what appears to be a slow-burn villain origin story, given Norman is the original Green Goblin in the comics, and is already shown to have a goblin glider custom-made - the final two episodes of this chapter of the show take an even more serious turn with the character, particularly in his confrontation with Doctor Octopus.
After Iron Man appears to arrest Otto Octavius in episode 8, Norman finds himself with the upper hand over his former ally, and evidently decides to use this to his full advantage. While Norman’s conversations with Spider-Man saw him imply they needed to find and take in Doctor Octopus because of the threat he posed to those around him, Osborn reveals a very different motivation when talking to Otto himself, mocking the scientist by explaining his intention was to take all Octavius' research and tech for himself after using the Sokovia Accords to put him in prison.
This reveal shows that Iron Man - as the person to take Doctor Octopus in after Norman tipped Thunderbolt Ross off about where he was hiding - has unknowingly acted as a pawn of Norman Osborn, and has supplied him with a wide range of very advanced weaponrythat makes the character’s seemingly impending descent into becoming the Green Goblin feel all the more inevitable when combined with his other actions in the final episodes. While the show is set in an alternate MCU timeline, this is especially ironic given Stark’s efforts to avoid a scenario like this happening with his own technology.
Norman Osborn’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Origin Story Is Exactly What Iron Man Was Trying To Avoid In The Main MCU Timeline
Much of Iron Man’s arc in the MCU is him learning not only that there should be limits to how far he goes with his technological exploits, but also that he needs to protect what tech is in existence to prevent it from getting into the wrong hands. This is a key part of what leads him to destroy the vast majority of his Iron Man suits inIron Man 3, and a core element of his conflict with Justin Hammer and the US government inIron Man 2, as Tony recognizes that giving advanced weaponry to those he cannot definitively trust with it would be a mistake.
This makes it all the more notable thatIron Man’s role inYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manseason 1 is to essentially deliver high-tech equipment into the wrong hands, as while Doctor Octopus is a rogue scientist who supplies villains with dangerous weaponry, simply giving all of said remaining dangerous weaponry over to the head of Oscorp seems to be a move that will have repercussions. Interestingly, this could be what sees Spider-Man and Iron Man meet and team up in this universe if so, allowing theMCUto explore a new dynamic between the two.
