#and also so many people love tony stark and rdj is tony stark so this could get weird

[winteriron-trash]

rdj the (whitewashed) electric boogaloo

This is a reminder to everyone who's excited about RDJ's casting as Doctor Doom that this casting is whitewashing. Victor Von Doom is a Romani character and has been a Romani character since his introduction in the 1960s. (Fantastic Four Annual #2 [1964]) Not only that, but his Roma identity and the persecution he and his family faced due to it is integral to his character, it is what forms his identity. (Books of Doom by Ed Brubaker) Even if on the off chance this casting is meant to not be Victor but instead be some variant of Tony or whomever else becoming Doctor Doom, it is damaging to the character to rob him of that important cultural background. Doctor Doom does not exist without that history. Fans have been pushing hard to cast Doom as a Romani actor for years, especially since the MCU has whitewashed other Romani characters. (Wanda, Pietro, etc) This casting is not a celebration moment, it's fucking heartbreaking that the MCU repeatedly ignores the important and nuanced cultural backstories of characters.

I know I can't change anybody's mind on whether or not you want to be excited about RDJ's return to the MCU. But I do think at the very least you should be mad that the MCU is baiting us all and destroying nuanced and interesting characters for the sake of self-referential easter eggs and nostalgia bait. Because that's what it is. Feel how you'd like to feel about RDJ's return, but personally, this is soul-sucking. I had such a deep love for the MCU as a teenager, it was obviously something incredibly formative to me, especially Tony Stark. This isn't recreating what I fell in love with the MCU for. This is turning a well-planned and artistic storyline of adaptations into cheap cash grabs and fan service. Because, I think we're past the point of being able to call the MCU an adaptation of anything. They can use existing characters' names and powers, but to say they're being properly adapted is laughable.

This is not an adaptation of Doctor Doom. This is RDJ the Electric Boogaloo because Marvel's fear of losing the interest of dedicated MCU fans overrides their willingness to tell stories that are genuine to the characters. I don't know what there is to be excited about that. The MCU has lost its authenticity and aside from a few projects, feels heartless. Every movie is a copy of a copy. This announcement isn't something celebratory, it feels like a death knell of a cinematic universe that's so desperate to cling to relevancy it's resorting to nostalgia for a character/actor who hasn't even been dead for a decade. We're not getting anything new, we're just rinsing and repeating the same song and dance.

I get it. I love Tony Stark, his death destroyed me and I to this day, rue the ending he got in Endgame. It misunderstood his arc and it robbed him of a satisfying conclusion. But the solution to that isn't dragging the corpse out of the grave five years later to whitewash an existing character with rich and interesting nuance, just to forcibly tie his existence in the MCU to Tony. Whether he is a variant or not. Why would you want someone else's fave's legacy to be destroyed simply so your fave's legacy can go on? Hell, if we were really all so hellbent on the return of RDJ and/or Tony to the MCU, we have the multiverse for a reason. There were other ways to do it that didn't whitewash and ruin someone else. This just. Isn't something to be happy about.

[inawickedlittletown]

The only way that RDJ works as Dr Doom is as a variant of Tony Stark. But the only way we as the audience buy it is if RDJ can use those acting skills to give us such a different and yet still nuanced with Tony-isms performance.

[luna-rainbow]

Hi

Like your posts especially your Bucky posts. He is my precious cinnamon roll, and a character whose popularity makes sense.

Can you explain to me why T*ny Stark though is so popular? I just... cannot see the appeal of him. He's self-righteous, self-centred, reckless, irresponsible and very likely narcissistic.

Also, for all his fans go on about how "sacrificial" he is I do not see it. Or rather, its not actually that admirable to have to sacrifce yourself to solve the problems you created in the first place! That's just... being a decent human.

Now Cap, there's a guy. Resisting authortarinism and fighting for freedom all his life. T*ny though? He's like "yeah kill myself to kill he villain my father/me created". Nope. Not a hero.

Even in Endgame, he's selfish because he's not willing to even give his backing to the Time Heist if it might negatively impact him/his family.

Why do people see him as such again?

Thanks for the ask!

I think most people like characters for a few reasons: a) they think they are their blorbo, b) they want to be like their blorbo, and c) they want to have sex with their blorbo.

Tony, especially with RDJ's portrayal, is exactly the kind of guy that appeals to the intended audience of the comics-loving (mostly male) fanbase: who identify with Tony's "intellectual and pragmatic" over sentimental (ala Pepper) or moralistic (ala Steve), and who wishes they could be the playboy billionaire who has all the sex and buys all the toys and shrugs off all the accountability. Tony is 40 but RDJ plays him like he's 14, he's misogynist and self-centered, cocky and reckless, who won't listen to anyone else's advice because he genuinely believes he knows better until real life proves him wrong (...so many socialised males are like this...)

To be honest, on the one hand, I can see why Tony appeals to the audience. He's at once a a reassurance and a fantasy. If you take away his billionaire status, he's an extremely flawed (all the ones you've listed and more) middle-aged guy who struggles to maintain human relations and makes frequent mistakes but does strive, at least in the earlier movies, to try and do the right thing. I think a lot of people relate to that, because most of us are lonely and messed up and likely misunderstood to some degree. But he's also very much a power fantasy -- he's swimming in money (if you forget where it comes from), surrounded by fawning hot women, he has fast cars and a man cave to tinker with his hobby while his girlfriend/secretary does the real work of running the company. He then gets the ideal redemption story where he proves all the accusations of immorality wrong by doing A Good Deed, and all the fame and glory that comes with it. Yeah, some fans like to lean into how he's still ""misunderstood", but his critics in universe are the minority, and his new hero status has enabled him greater access to what is essentially political power and intelligence networks.

To me, Tony's appeal lies in his struggles and the redemption. He is a morally grey character just learning to look beyond his own needs and still occasionally relapsing into self-centered recklessness. His story was never one about sacrifice - because as you say, doing the bare minimum of fixing your own mistakes isn't sacrifice, it's being a grown up.

And I ignore Endgame XD

[sp4cecrypt1d]

Okay fuck it. I'm talking about Stony Omegaverse

There are so many ideas in my head and honestly I just mostly want to have a discussion about all the interesting plot devices and tropes that go into specifically this pair.

Something about specfically this pairing is very interesting in the omegaverse compared to most others. I also like bkdk in my hero academia and that is also interesting but I think Stony and the MCU creates an entirely new world to play in.

Anyway I'm gonna talk about Tony and Steve's pasts and characters and how that plays into their subgenders, pregnancy, heats, and all that fun omegaverse stuff. If you're into that, do stick around and comment!

Ah disclaimer, this is mostly MCU Omegaverse as I'm mostly well versed in that.

First, Tony.

So Tony is honestly the reason I love omegaverse MCU and Stony fics so much. I exclusively read Omega! Tony and Alpha! Steve because IMO that is the most interesting to me. And yeah I like reading about Tony being a bitch in heat.

Anyway so Tony's past of being an only child to a dad who was perpetually disappointed in him adds an extra fun layer when he's an omega. Depending on the story and how restrictive society/laws are, this sometimes means Tony doesn't even own Stark Industries. Him having to learn how to be independent and run a company without any course correction from Howard is such juicy story material, especially when he's still as promiscuous as he is in the movies. I always like the bratty, BAMF character as the omega but Tony takes it to another level being mouthy, bratty, braggadocious, dominant, and sneering all at the same time.

Another interesting trope is having Tony promised to Stane once he turns 18. This is a great tool in having him totally turned off by alphas and make really sweet moments when he realizes, oh shit, Steve isn't like that. Also, y'know, Tony killing his abuser lolzer.

Story wise, the way his subgender can be used against him has a lot to explore. Is he blackmailed? Kidnapped? How is Afghanistan different? How is being an avenger different?

also can I just, talk about how genuinely pretty RDJ is as Tony. Seriously talk about perfect casting, like yes! Tony is short, yes he has big brown eyes, yes he’s very expressive. I know in some/most comic runs he has blue eyes but gosh brown eyes are just so…Tony. Descriptors for him being very sturdy and strong but in the face he’s just very soft and warm and disarming. I love it.

Second, Steve

For the same reason I like Tony being the omega, I love Steve as the alpha because of how soft he is. He's not brash, cold-hearted, or better-than, but soft, strong, caring, and assertive. I guess you can say he's the perfect model of soft non-toxic masculinity in most fics.

I've seen a few fics where the serum made him an alpha which is very interesting, but I do really enjoy him always being one. Pre-serum Steve, in THE 40s, trying to be taken seriously as an alpha and only until after he gets the serum do people flaunt him. Often Peggy will also be an alpha, or a beta, I'm not sure if I've seen omega Peggy, either way, Steve takes courting and being someones alpha very seriously.

should I talk about how perfect Chris Evan’s is then? His face and jawline is very strong but his eyes and eyebrows are just…so kind. I love how every fic acknowledges Steve and his puppy dog eyes. And somehow, the way he bulked up for Cap, it’s not, grotesque? I guess? Like okay, Chris Hemsworth as Thor is very hard muscle, but Chris Evans muscles make him look huge but also really soft? Like his arms are pillows or something. Anyway, you can imply how that fits into the type of alpha he is.

The Mate Thing

Tony, as mentioned will usually vow to never mate or bond, not in a million years. I, again, love this because sometimes this is tied to Stark Industries and if he gets married/mated, his alpha now owns the company, not him. Other than that I think it's interesting that he just doesn't want to give that kind of vulnerability to anyone. At the same time, at the point of life he's at, he doesn't even think anyone would want a used-up omega. Especially not one that acts the way he does.

Steve of course it's like his biggest dream to be someone's alpha, whether consciously or not. My favorite is when he writes off Tony at first as bratty or loose, but then slowly falls in love with him only to be slapped in the face that Tony has not and will never accept a claim.

A Bitch in Heat

and when Tony is in heat, he’s a BITCH.

I think what I love most about stony omegaverse is how needy it allows Tony to be. In canon he’s obviously very independent but he has subtextual needs and wants and this au just puts them all on the table. One need is obviously Steve’s dick.

How frequently Tony will just straight up yell at Steve to not waste his time and put it in already Jesus Christ. Again Tony is able to be bratty even in heat and Steve is very very providing.

But before the heat, Tony usually takes suppressants so when he accidentally forgets them or is barred from using them, a heat hits him and it hits him HARD.

But what does Tony think about heats is what makes it interesting. Does he think it makes him weak? Are they a nuisance? Too vulnerable? Whether Tony has had 0 knots or 20, something about sharing his heat with Steve will be a first something.

Oh no! I'm Pregnant!

*rubs hands like a fly* my favorite.

Pregnant needy Tony is my all time favorite, fuck what anyone says.

In some fics, Steve will still go on missions and I love when Tony is like motherfucker you better be here when the baby comes and Steve is like yes yes of course sweetheart and then oops, baby’s early!

alternatively when the baby comes and Tony is like STEVEEEEE and Steve is freaking out trying to make sure everything is perfect and Tony is cared for and Tony is like “You stupid alpha! Let me go! I’m going to cut off your dick!”

I’ve also noticed that birth scenes are usually pretty descriptive. If I’m being honest, I like this, it’s more chance to explore Tony’s character. Stark men are made of Iron. How will he buckle down and deliver?

Sometimes the arc reactor doesn’t let him lactate. Sometimes he’s surprised it does! Either way I love how Tony is simultaneously scared of being a father but also dammit he’s going to give his child the best life.

One of the most interesting plots is Tony being pregnant during Civil War. Noting all the previous stuff of how Tony doesn’t trust/like alphas, imagine, finally mating with one he loved so much only to be abandoned for someone he knew he never had a chance against. There was one where Bucky had been Steve’s omega during the war and that one seriously hurt.

anyway so yeah! Stony omegaverse is one of my favorite aus for this ship and my favorite ship for the omegaverse. That’s all, maybe it was a little rambly but I just wanted to gush. What’s your favorite part of stony omegaverse?

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

About the Teigh

What should I say about myself past my tagline? "50 year old beach heathen. Lokean. Tea/coffee-drinker. Writer/photographer/hobby chef. Tarot/runes/dreams/psychometry. Genderfluid. Bisexual. Multi-fandom nerd. Why am I the only one who has that dream? They/Them," only gives so much, after all, and I mean, one of those things is a line from a movie probably a lot of you haven't seen because you're too young, and it doesn't have Taylor Swift in it.

If you've looked at my Tumblr, you know I'm a HUGE Marvel/MCU nerd. There are characters I hate (I have tags especially for you folks who love those characters so that you can filter out my rare venting about those characters posts), there are characters I like, there are characters I love, and then there are characters that I'd potentially open up a metaphorical vein for them. We all have those. We're nerds. We're on Tumblr, ffs.

I love tea. Yes I love coffee, too, but because of an rp character my name and personality has sort of become enmeshed with even just the notion of tea and all manner of tea paraphernalia. Teapots, tea cups, tea service, tea sets, tea, tea, tea, tea... *cue Monty Python singing the Spam song but it's tea*

I love photography. I'm a hobby photographer, and once I'm the hell out of Texas, I'll feel inspired to jump back into my photo game again.

I love cooking. What started out of spite because of my ex and a mutual friend telling me I'd starve to death without the ex to cook for me has turned into a creative outlet and passion. I know I cook more than my ex ever did, and with the exception of my picky, pissy SIL, most people love my cooking. So yay me.

I love animals, the beach (obviously - it's the place I most want to be), flowers, lots of different fandoms aside from Marvel (Hannibal, The Following, horror movies, Stephen King, period movies, literature, Shakespeare, Stranger Things, Peaky Blinders, Boardwalk Empire, ALL of the things that Mike Flanagan directs, BBC Sherlock, RDJ's Sherlock movies - the list is really kind of long, so I won't try to put everything down). I love pretty much all types of music (save Christian rock and quite a lot of pop singers, esp one particular one whose name I've had to filter out because so many of y'all love her).

I write fanfiction. I'm not a popular writer, but I'm damned good at what I do. For those who don't know, I'm Wolfsheart on AO3. I'm a huge sucker for kudos and comments. LOVE the comments, especially the positive ones. Hateful ones, not so much. I delete, block, and report people who send hateful shit. If you leave hateful shit without signing in, I'll report you as spam since AO3 hasn't provided a way to block and report 'guests'.

I've got side blogs on Tumblr that are mine alone and a few Tumblrs that I co-mod with one of my sibs from another crib, @scottxlogan. In case you're interested:

Mine:

Love is in the Earth (A blog about geology/stones/crystals covering both geological and metaphysical properties of them)

Mimir's Well (Tarot/Divination blog)

Lokiscarlip (Good Omens RP)

Mine and Scottxlogan's:

Marvelrarepairs (Marvel Rare Pairs, self-explanatory)

Starksummers (Also self-explanatory? Scott Summers/Tony Stark, or as we call them, Mechanical Boy Band)

Marvelrarepairs Bingo (Same as above but with Bingo cards!)

Scott Summers Bingo (A bingo for pro-Scott Summers folks)

Scogan Bingo (Scott Summers/Logan)

Oh yeah, here's a big thing. Super big heathen here. Nordic gods are my deity-drugs of choice. Loki's the top of the hierarchy. I read tarot, runes, psychometry. I'm your basic beach witch currently stuck in relatively Central Texas, trying to get this making money for me before my sister and I can escape Tex-ass and even after.

Look, I tag every post. I tag with what's in the post, if I put my negative opinions into the post (even the tags), I will always tag with "This is not a ***** friendly blog." Ex. "This is not a Jean Grey friendly blog," and "This is not a Peggy Carter friendly blog." If there's something I post that isn't tagged in a way that you'd like to filter it out, send me an Ask and I will put that tag into my routine so that you can filter it out. Tags are a courtesy, and I'm all about being courteous - kind of wish more folks on here were that courteous because there's some stuff I filter out and y'all don't tag so I'm stuck seeing it and have to block those posts.

Oh but here's the catch. I have Anon Asks shut off. I used to get a lot of hate asks and even death threats in anon because someone didn't like that I don't like a character they loved. That was pre-tagging days on here. So I shut off Anon Asks. Sorry, not sorry. You can send me asks, you'll be safe, and I won't like...eat your face or anything.

I only eat the rude.

[wenellyb]

wait.. do you actually like the idea of Sam forming his own team? 😬 i mean sure i want him to do that but why does this feel like they're doing a civil war on him? 😩 a team? in his first movie? ngl, i kinda hate it here. Also i hate that it's heavely connected to thunderbolts apparently cause then i feel like we'll see bucky somehow in cap 4 and that's a big fear i have

Hi Anon!!!

Yes I do like the idea! I feel like Marvel isn't doing "solo" movies anymore, they're going for solo+ensemble kind of configuration. Unless, it's characters we've never ever seen before (like Shang Chi), they'll always bring other Avengers, etc,... Like Thor (Bruce with Ragnarok and the Guardians with Love and Thunder), Civil War you already mentionned but it Cap 2, there was also Natasha (and Sam we had just met), Dr Strange with Wanda,...We even had Ayo appearing in Tfatws,

It doesn't bother me at all that there would be other Avengers in the Sam movie because it seems to be the general direction in which the MCU is going, trying to do more "crossovers" or interactions between characters and it's sounds great.

As long as Sam is the lead in the movie, I don't care about how many other Avengers are there and it also sounds interesting that Sam is forming a new group ( if the rumors are true), it would make an interesting storyline.

Besides Tony Stark is dead so what damage could RDJ possibly make wanting to change the plot of a Cap movie so it would center about him😂?

I don't know about the movie being connected to the Thunderbolts, I haven't followed that so closely but I really doubt Bucky would be in the movie, maybe the After credits scenes ?

And also, one thing about me is that I'm never really bothered as much by the plot that by the fandom.... You could have a movie focusing 100% on Sam and some people in the fandom would find a way to focus about the side character that appeared for 5 minutes in the movie. And then people will get conviced that there wasn't enough focus on Sam, even if there was and it was just the fandom being *ssholes.

I get where you're coming from but imo it's due to the fandom behavior and maybe not the plot of the movie itself.

TL:DR: I'm excited the movie and the only thing that worries me is the fandom behavior.

[nonexistent-introvert]

Tony's last birthday

2-3 days ago was this legend's birthday. It was also the day I realised I had 200 followers and it means so much to me THANK YOU, EVERYONE!! The fact that I had reached this during his birthday means all the more but because of a hectic schedule, I didn't get the time to post this.

Tony Stark was the first fictional character I had grown attached to. (Yes I'm basic.) Judge me all you want for being attached to a fictional character (If you're on Tumblr you probably are too)but looking through social media and seeing all the edits and posts for him made me rather overwhelmed with emotions.

Iron man was the first ever superhero film I had watched/ I was a child then, barely understanding what was going on but I still went around pretending I was him (like a kid). I watched him become a better person without losing his charms and shape the MCU. I cheered for him in battles, laughed at the jokes he made, and cried when he met his eventual doom. He is the person who grew my interest in sciences and technology, he is the same person who encouraged me not to give up on these said interests when I was doing badly in school for these subjects. Therefore, tony stark is not just a fictional character to me. He has shaped my decisions and made me who I am today.

On another side note, I had this iron man keychain for the longest time. Its no official merch but I always had it on my pencil case. It was my lucky charm for the longest time, I brought it with me through national exams wishing that things work out for the best. He was there with me while I struggled through questions and fought my own battles. The keychain reminds me of the good memories and times I had in school with my friends. But I lost the keychain because one of the parts broke off with time.

I did get a replacement. It wasn't the same original one but I would like to think that it carried the same luck. It definitely still makes me reminisce about the memories I had. I recently met up with my old friends and they did mention that a distinctive feature they remembered about me from school was that I had an iron man keychain on my pencil case which was rather hilarious.

Tony Stark has always been an inspiration to me and to many people out in the world. Losing him in the MCU was like losing a close mentor figure and friend to me. He brings me comfort on bad days. I don't know how else to express these emotions as I realize that this year is his last living year and he had just celebrated his last birthday with the people that matter most to him.

It feels surreal that this year was the year where he supposedly passes away. I miss him and I love him 3000

and RDJ, bless him for bringing tony stark to life.

All good things have to come to an end.

I just wanted to express how much Tony Stark as a character means to me. So sorry if this is abit out of the blue. Anyways, THANK YOU EVERYONE who has supported my fics, even anyone who took the time to read and enjoyed it. It means a lot to me. I love yall <3

[eddiesdruid]

Movie Tag Game!

Rules: Post 7 comfort movie and tag 7 people

Thanks for tagging me, love! @there-goes-thefighter

1) Jurassic Park (1993) - This is my favorite movie of all time. It still fuels my love for Dinosaurs. This film, in my opinion, was a pure cinematic masterpiece even without all of the current modern CGI.

2) Jaws (1975) - The movie that instilled fear into so many, did the opposite for me. It cultivated my love for sharks and now I have more shark knowledge than I know what to do with. My favorite character was Hooper. He made me want to be a marine biologist. This movie holds a special place for not just the film itsself but the action that most of the people involved in the movie took once it was over. After Jaws was released millions of sharks were needlessly killed because of the fear this movie produced in people. The director and many of the cast spoke up against this senseless slaughtering and started the steps in Shark conservation. Even though there is still a lot more work to be done, shark conservation efforts are at an all time high. As is the willingness for the public to see that these beautiful creatures are not mindless killing machines but instead just a misunderstood apex predator.

{Sorry I know that one was long, I promise to keep the next ones shorter!}

3) IronMan (2008) - I grew up on Comics and Marvel because of my Dad but Ironman is where my love for the 'Hero' movies, outside of comics, really began. RDJ will always be Tony Stark. I love you 3000.

4) Captain America First Avenger/ Winter Soldier/CivilWar (2011/2014/2016) - I clump these three together because of two words: Bucky Barnes💚. Sebastian Stan took this character and just cultivated him into someone that I am unbelievably attached to. Bucky Barnes is the love of my life. His story and his arch through all of the moves and even the TV's shows has just been so beautifully portrayed that I honestly will never be able to see anyone else play that character or if anything happens to him... I'm not sure I can watch a world where he doesn't exist.

{Promised to keep it short, clearly I lied 🤣}

5) Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) - I watched this movie on repeat atleast three times a day growing up. It's my most comfiest of comfort movies. My childhood.

6) Lord of the Rings Trilogy/Hobbit Trilogy (2001 - 2014): Absolute classic. And let's just be honest, not much needs to be said about this one. Tolkien was a master.

7) The Breakfast Club (1985) - Amazing movie but also the movie that made me realize I have a type, John Bender anyone?🤣

Okay, done! This one was fun, I didn't think I'd write so much!

Tags: @sweet-villain @billysbabyy @bookshelf-dust @pastel-pillows @clovermunson @paranoidmunson @destroya2005 @pearfight @cruentaquevivere

Movie Tag Game!

Rules: post 7 comfort movies and tag 7 people

Thanks for the tag Katy @midnightswithdearkatytspb !! ❤️ … this was rather tough…music is more my speed, so to think of 7 movies took me a bit. I gave it my best shot though.

1. The Revenant — my absolute favorite movie…the visuals are GORGEOUS!!

2. 1917 — THE SCORE!!!! It alone got me through student teaching! Another movie that has gorgeous (yet haunting) visuals and such a moving story.

3. Almost Famous — my mom and I quote this movie on the daily. It’s such a fun one to watch.

4. Dazed and Confused — another one that I quote on the daily. There’s no point to it, really.

5. The Great Gatsby — the newest one. I (didn’t) read the book in high school, but this version had come out a few years earlier and we were able to watch it in class. Another visually pleasing movie.

This is where things got hard…

6. Rent — I’ve seen the musical live a few times and the movie does it so much justice. A good bit of the original Broadway cast are in the movie too, so all that’s really been adapted is the set/flow of events.

7. The Kid — one that makes my history heart happy. No lie, my mind was blown when they first showed Dane DeHaan as Billy the Kid because I was like ‘oh shit, that’s actually him!’ and they get bonus points for having him stand like the actual Billy the Kid was standing in the only known photograph of him (which made me geek out…my family didn’t care too much though haha) But anyways, this is a super interesting story that is based off of one of the coolest stories in the history of the Amercian West.

Tagging: @notyour-valentine @little-diable @acewritesfics @zablife @huntingingoodwill @there-goes-thefighter @thesoldiersminute @toms-cherry-trees

[trashmouththeorist]

mcu peter sucks, im sorry

in terms of the spider-men/women/pigs, i don’t really have a favourite. however, i do have a LEAST favourite, and that is the MCU Peter Parker portrayed by Tom Holland.

The integrity of Spider-Man comes from that fact that he is a working-class hero, fights for the little guy, and his origin story.

and all that was destroyed once the MCU got involved.

why did they not use his origin story? does oscorp exist? harry osborn?? what?? who tf is ned? why does he have powers? why does this movie suck so much? Why are there zero stakes?

-on the ‘who tf is ned’ point, to clarify, i know who he is. ned leeds, the abusive husband of betty brant. then they make this OOC Ned date this OOC Betty. Huh?

where did ben go? why is stark here? why does he like stark? why didn’t he make his own suit? 

why is he everything spider-man is not?

the writers obviously noticed the problem, because in nwh, they rapidly back-pedaled to him being poor, making his own suits, and not having a billionaire on speed-dial to bail him out of his problems despite the billionaire still being a manipulative jackass and treating him like shit, while representing everything he stands against.

also, i did NOT like the idea of ‘mj’ being a collective spider-man gf term and just changing up the name. zendaya could’ve been mary-jane watson. michelle jones just...

i don’t even care about the fact she’s not a comic character - it’s just the fact they made her mj instead? when mary-jane is mj? idk i just didn’t like that. there are SO many comic characters he could’ve fallen in love with. it didn’t need to be this oc mj. i know people hate sam raimi mj, but she was still cool with sexist writing. comic mary-jane is such a badass. why did they not replicate that? why not ask zendaya to play original mary-jane? ‘cus she’s not white? that shit ain’t a ‘homage’ to the og mj, it’s just awful.

irondad as a concept needs to die already. please. im so done. peter is manipulated and ignored - CONSTANTLY - by Tony. that’s not acting like a father, it’s acting like a jackass. and he HAS  parental figure - aunt May. and he had a father figure - uncle Ben. irondad is creepy and reeks of grooming.

plus, they stole a bunch of concepts (for nwh too, but im not specifically talking about that) from miles morales and itsv. they copied the spider-men meeting each other, and copied miles’ personality for mcu peter. and somehow, miles is STILL more likeable. i miss the days when you could scroll through the peter parker tag without seeing tom holland and r*bert d*wney jr.

but also, literally every other spider-man would’ve been team cap. plus, andrew also said so. they’re working-class heroes. to argue against that is to be wrong. i don’t blame tom!peter for being manipulated and blackmailed. i blame the writers for being assholes, and most importantly, robert downey jr for his 15 million dollar profit off of 8 minutes of mediocre (at best) acting. -(also, saying - he’s such a good actor, he’s tony in real life! - literally makes him a bad actor with no range. someone reviewed dolittle, saying that it was so bad that it seemed like rdj was trying to sabotage his own movie. and i agree.) peter was manipulated and misinformed into being team tony. there is no variation of spider-man that would EVER be team iron-man. unless they’re fckign crazy.

also, tom holland said that if peter parker could bring anyone back from the dead, it would be tony st*rk. no btich.

also howard stark was really hot i just feel like saying that

tobey’s and andrew’s are actually ACCURATE spider-men, and the mcu needs to take notes.

this quickly turned into a tony hate post, but he is the root of mcu peter’s main issues, so.

anyways, stan miles morales

a true icon.

[crazyyfilmyfreak]

Let's Talk about Tony Stark today ? shall we and now there might be some potential spoilers to Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness here so you have been warned 🤷🏻‍♂️ if you're not interested you can ignore it from here

Now Listen i fucking love Tom cruise a lot 😭 infact i love him even before i started admiring RDJ and he means a lot to me and i freaking love his Films so much but * Him Playing an evil Version of IronMan in Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness * idk i have mixed feelings for this 😳 ( it might just be a rumour or it might be a genuine leak ) but

i feel its kind of disrespectful to RDJ / Tony Stark / Tony stans and everyone who loved Iron Man in Mcu in many ways and i don't think i need to explain why🤷🏻‍♂️ i am not saying we shouldn't have an evil Version of IronMan on Big Screen all i am saying and asking is Why Can't RDJ play the evil Version of IronMan ? its just a cameo right ? Both RDJ and Tom cruise are Top Tier A1 stars in Hollywood and they both have their own Fanbase and Boxoffice market and infact more people would Rush to screens if they hear That RDJ has a cameo in Multiverse of Madness compared to Tom cruise's Version bcoz RDJ as Tony Stark is something else and he is incredibly loved and admired everywhere around the Globe and people are gonna go nuts and mad crazy if they witness him as Tony Stark once again on screen doesn't fucking matter if its just a cameo or even if its an Evil Version .

Having Said that i am actually excited to see how Tom cruise will play the Evil Version of Tony Stark but it would be really nice if RDJ played it 😏 like come on it would be so nice to see a Version of Iron Man Who fucking killed Steve Rogers during civil war and also killed Thanos and has his head on a Jar with full of water in his Locker as trophy 💀 ( you think i am making this up ???? this shit is actually from the potential leaks / Rumours ) and it would be DOPE if we See RDJ's Version of Iron Man doing all of this and you can literally Cast Tom cruise for any other serious or Big Roles in Mcu 😭😭😭 instead of this fucking stupid out of the Blue Cameo

Killing him in every version of what if series , Blaming Tony for vulture & Mysterio in the Spidey flicks ( what a poor way to design the villain character arcs especially Mysterio villain Origin is so fucking hilarious ans dumb 💀 ) and i will never forget that script of wanda vision which didn't make into the final scene where wanda talks shit about Tony !!! HE'S FUCKING DEAD !!! MOVE ON BE RESPECTFUL TO THE CHARACTER WHICH BUILT YOUR UNIVERSE IN THE FIRST PLACE !!! If not for the success of IRON MAN at boxoffice Mcu would have Never Made it this Big and its a fucking fact but instead of being thankful and respectful Marvel studios and the writers are being disrespectful towards the character in so many ways

I really don't know what's the Marvel's issue here ? I do understand Mcu wants to move away from the AURA Of Tony Stark / IronMan after endgame and move on but you gotta understand No matter how hard you try you can't erase his iconic legacy, i mean he is LITERALLY almost Mentioned in Every Mcu project that happened after Endgame

like always In the Conclusion what i am Saying is the Russo Mfs can kill Tony stark but can they kill his legacy ? The answer is NO AND NEVER BITCH

TONY STARK WILL ALWAYS BE THE HEART OF MCU

[youngbugandtonystank]

And now anti Tony people are blaming him for letting Sam’s family being in financial trouble wtf the man is dead! Let him rest!

Yeah, I saw. 

They’re definitely going to keep doing that, gotta say, the MCU never failed with Tony's character, they created circumstances for him exactly just like Stan envisioned. The ‘love-to-hate’ trope is strong when it comes to him, this is what Stan wanted out of Tony Stark's relationship with his fans/audience. Thing is, the reality of the MCU superhero is that they’re all flawed. None of them are exempt from anything. Why Tony gets more hate than the others?

He’s the most popular character. There’s no discussion in this instance. Popular superheroes that first come to people’s minds are always Batman, Iron Man and Spider-Man. Tony Stark/Iron Man is a pop culture legend and the fact that RDJ got to portray him as great as he did, helped a lot. People are always going to circle back to the character who has more hype and audience. 

He’s the one with the money. The fact that Tony is swimming in money automatically makes him the target of the ‘eat the rich’ mentality. People fail to remember that other characters such as T’Challa (who has more money than Tony would ever wish to see and lives in the most technologically advanced country in the world), Shuri, Thor (a literal king with a kingdom), The Pym family, Danny Rand (he has a net worth of $5 billion and is one of the richest comic book characters of all time), etc exist. And we still haven’t seen the other Marvel characters (in the MCU) that are richer than Tony like Reed Richards, Professor X, Warren Worthington, Norman Osborn, Namor, Doctor Doom, etc. 

Even if some of us see RDJ as attractive and good looking, some people don’t. For them, RDJ is nothing compared to Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, etc. It’s easier to hate a character you don’t find attractive. And also the fact that they find those actors relatively younger than RDJ. 

It’s the most shippable character. This also means he must be in the way of some other ships. Even if this sounds unbelievable, many people don’t get their irrational hate for a character until it dawns on them that they only hate him because he either treated one half of their ship unfairly or because he’s in the way of that ship. The more reasons they can find to hate him, the more legitimate their senseless hatred seems in their minds.

People don’t call out characters like T’Challa or Shuri because they’re scared of being called ‘racist’. T’Challa is so rich that Howard Stark could only buy (just an assumption, it’s a possibility he stole the vibranium lmao) only a portion of vibranium to build Steve’s shield, and because is the world’s most indestructible material, his worth is approximately $10,000 a gram (Fantastic Four #607) and Wakanda's vaults hold 10,000 tons of the material (Doomwar #1) T’Challa is not a billionaire, he’s a trillionaire lmaoooo everyone else is a joke compared to him.

Even having all of this info, Tony and T’Challa owe nothing to anyone.

T’Challa helped Bucky because of his principles (Tony offered to do this at the beginning as well until of course, he found out he killed his parents) but because of that, that doesn't mean T’Challa owes Steve, Sam, Wanda, and Natasha money or housing assistance. He didn't give it to them at all and he doesn’t have to. 

James Rhodes: Well. You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years.

Sam Wilson: Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star.

Wanna know why? Because T’Challa knows they’re adults and they make their own decisions. Sam chose to be on Steve’s side, Wanda did too, Natasha too, etc. Adults make decisions and they should deal with the consequences that come with that. Tony was not going to deal with their financial problems because they made a choice and it’s not his problem to deal with. Tony is not their father. People need to ask themselves why Sam was not in the ‘lift the hammer’ scene after the party, because he wasn’t familiar with them, he wasn’t friends with Tony, only with Steve. Besides that fact, they all fought Tony, hurt his best friend, and left him to deal with the rest in CW. They’re not family.

Sam Wilson: No, I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough. I'm very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case. Avenging is your world. Your world is crazy. Steve Rogers: Be it ever so humble. Sam Wilson: You find a place in Brooklyn yet? Steve Rogers: I don't think I can afford a place in Brooklyn. Sam Wilson: Well, home is home, you know?

There’s absolutely no reason Steve can’t afford a place. He’s an adult, he has a good reputation, he worked for shield (why aren’t yall on Nick Fury’s ass if he had Steve and the others as employees? Fury set an entire place for Clint, why can’t he do it for the rest of them, he is the founder of the Avengers after all), and was pretty much capable of doing stuff for others. Tony provided them with a home while they were working together, he doesn’t need to concern himself with their personal problems because they’re not actual friends. Rhodey is his friend. Happy is his friend. Also consider the fact that maybe Sam didn’t want his help? 

And let’s also take into consideration that Tony is not only an Avenger, but Tony is also a businessman, an inventor, an engineer, has a company to keep an eye on, he is the one who finances the Avengers’ messes and other superhero messes too by co-owning the department of damage control, etc. He has other things to do. The rest of the Avengers are adults too, they should seek a job that could give them a future too, not just depend on Tony’s money. Tony had a family and he had to make sure they were covered after his death, this includes, Pepper (his wife, therefore she gets his stuff), Peter (his son, he left him EDITH, he’s basically set for life with that given the A.I. has access to the majority of his things including bank accounts), Morgan (his daughter; his responsibility), Happy and Rhodey (I’m sure we’ll see what he left them in Armor Wars). Why? They’re his actual family. 

If some of you know this and you’re still looking for reasons to put the blame on him, you’re failing to recognize you’re obsessed with hating Tony just for the sake of being right. Wouldn’t you like a life where you don’t have to constantly look for reasons to hate on a fictional character, better yet, a character you don’t like at all. Why the effort? You can love Tony and Sam at the same time, I promise you, this is not going to kill you. 

So please, instead of whining about Tony Stark all the time, why don’t yall just enjoy the fact that the show is showing you a vital and important event that happens in life while representing a part of Sam’s life to add to his emotional depth and character development? Especially because he’s a superhero and possibly the next Captain America, it’s good to see someone who is supposed to be a figure (superhero) whose actions or achievements are far greater than what people expect deal with normal things. They’re giving you a background; a solid storyline for his character. Let it be. Enjoy the shows yall, you can’t keep coming back to blame Tony for everything that happens after every single movie or Disney+ show, look for another metaphorical punching bag. The man is dead. 

[wilmakins]

The One MCU Rumour That Bothers Me - And Why

Self indulgent and introspective rant about *that* MoM casting rumour under the cut - be aware of potential 'spoilers' and unnecessary length.

So, those of you that follow me probably know that I’m pretty laid back.

Okay, granted, I can still get angry over CACW 5 years on (it’s my hyper fixation, what can I tell you?) but even my rants on that topic are, I think, pretty balanced – and certainly free from any ‘I hate Marvel/this is a crime against cinema/they’re never getting any of my money again’ hyperbole.

I don’t comment casting rumours. I don’t have a defined way that I want to see the MCU play out, I don’t get involved in fandom drama or comment on other peoples’ HCs, I don’t go on angry twitter rants about every choice I disagree with – I even kept my mouth shut about Steve’s ending, FFS.

I have always felt that being a fan of the MCU should be a light-hearted thing, an enjoyable thing, and – although it’s meant a lot to me, and helped me make some long lasting and genuine friendships – to be honest, I’ve never thought of it as being that deep…

And yet, the rumour that Tom Cruise is going to be playing a Tony Stark Variant in MoM has… bugged me. Like, actually nagged at me – to the point that I’ve actually left comments on some of the news stories about it. Which I never do…

And, of course, the response to these comments has been predictable. Amongst the many people who share my anxiety, there are also plenty of people to tell me ‘It’s not recasting Tony Stark, it’s just a variant’, that ‘It’s not all about RDJ, and you fangirls need to be less obsessive’, that ‘Iconic roles are recast all the time – look at the Joker and Batman’.

And, you know, I might feel better if any of that was the source of my discomfort… But it really isn’t.

For one, I’m not actually a Robert Downey Jr Fangirl. I’m a Tony Stark fangirl. And although I fell in love with RDJs portrayal of him, to me, he’s just an avatar for the fictional creation I love. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about RDJ. I don’t know his kids names. I couldn’t name more than 2 other movies he’s been in (only one of which I’ve actually seen). I couldn’t tell you anything about his past, beyond the vague ‘comeback of the century’ story that everyone knows… I’ve never felt any ‘protective’ instinct towards the actor before – to be honest, if I ever see a news story about him personally, I’m as uninvested as I would be in a story about any Hollywood A Lister.

Secondly, I know this isn’t Marvel ‘Recasting Tony Stark’, any more than Richard E Grant was them ‘recasting Loki’ or Tobey and Andrew were them ‘Recasting Spiderman’. I understand the concepts of variants.

…I mean, I’ll be honest, I was never enamoured with the concepts of variants, or the multiverse. For a while, I wondered if that was the issue here – the fact that I’m somewhat sceptical of an ever sprawling multiverse, and the way it potentially destroys the all important internal logic of the MCU, and possibly reduces the stakes… But that didn’t quite feel right, as an explanation. After all, NWH and the Loki Series proved that this concept could be done in an engaging, internally consistent way – my distrust of the Multiverse concept didn’t affect my excitement about or enjoyment of either of those projects. And I didn’t have the same reaction to rumours that Patrick Stewart might be appearing as Professor X, or that Hugh Jackman may show up as Wolverine. I may not much like those rumours either, but none of them made me think I was ‘done with Marvel’

It wasn’t even a reaction against Tom Cruise per se – although I’ll admit, I’m not a fan, and I don’t think he’d be a good fit for Tony Stark. But, like I say, I’ve always been able to separate the actor from the character playing them, and it’s not like I’m a huge fan of all the other actors in the MCU…

But still, this one rumour that just kept bugging me… Even leading me to fear that I could be turned off of the movie franchise I loved so much…

And then, tonight, it hit me – whilst watching The Simpsons.

It was one of those low-quality, mid-noughties episodes from long after the show’s heyday. And, like the cliché millennial I am, I made a trite comment about the show having gone past it’s prime long ago…

Because it moved away from the relatable storylines that made it so popular in the first place…

Because they kept breaking the ‘reality’ of the show and contradicting past storylines for the sake of a cheap joke or a shock…

Because they kept cashing in on celebrity voice overs that didn’t fit the show or mean anything…

Because they became naval gazing, and self-referential, breaking the fourth wall once an episode to smugly elbow the viewer in the ribs…

Ah. This was it then.

The Tom Cruise Rumour had made me anxious that this was Marvels ‘Simpsons Season 10’ moment.

When that clicked, I realised what made the ‘Tom Cruise’ rumour different to previous cameos, or the other ‘spoilers’ on reddit.

Because, for one, it so clearly seemed like ‘cashing in’ for its own sake. That’s why the ‘calm down, he’s only going to be in it for like ten minutes’ comments did not actually calm me down – because that was kind of the problem.

Andrew and Tobey weren’t in NWH for a single scene gag – they were written in as a fundamental part of the story, making the cameo more than just a marketing gimmick or a cheap attempt at ‘fan service’. Richard E. Grant was chosen because he fit a role that was already being written as part of the Loki series arc – they didn’t bung that reference in simply because they wanted to include that actor. If Patrick Stewarts Professor X turns up, he will at least be building on a multi-movie legacy, and bringing an already well loved character into the universe…

But a ten-minute cameo from Tom Cruise is nothing more than an in-joke with the fans – and a pretty cynical one at that. Which means a ten-minute cameo from him will be nothing more than a smug reminder that we’re all watching a movie, and a way to make us feel like part of the clique.

Maybe other people will like that sort of meta humour that makes them feel smart and special… But I personally liked watching and immersing myself in these stories, without constantly being reminded that they aren’t real.

And, to be honest, it felt like cynically ‘cashing in’ on the character of Tony Stark – and, before you say that I only think this because I’m a Tony Stark fan-

Really, this Tony Stark fan would rather you just left him dead. At least for a couple of years.

And I say that not to protect Tony’s legacy – but to protect the future of the MCU.

Richard E Grant didn’t feel like a cheap attempt to appeal to Loki fans – because Loki was standing right there. Andrew and Tobey weren’t in NWH to bring in the Spiderman fans – it was a Spiderman movie. I could at least believe that Professor X or Wolverine might be used in a way that added something to the story – at the very least, they both have established characters and histories to do something with…

But referencing Tony Stark yet again (through a brand-new iteration, only known because of an IRL casting drama that has become urban legend with the fans) when his death was used as the emotional end point of the whole first phase just a few years ago, feels very much like an attempt to… keep milking the golden goose? Okay, you can’t milk a goose, but you know what I mean – it feels like the studio is already slipping into cheap appeals to previously popular characters rather than taking the time to develop new ones. Almost like they’re scared of the risk they’re taking – like they want the safe, familiar crowd pleasers in there…

All in all, this one rumour renews all my previous worries about the multiverse concept – that it isn’t going to be used as an internally consistent mechanism to explore new stories (as always seemed a very big ask) but rather a magic wand to be used whenever they want a hashtaggable moment in there.

And it makes me worry that, in a bid to hold onto their momentum, Marvel are going to move away from the carefully developed, character driven stories that built that momentum in the first place. As so many popular properties have done when they ‘jumped the shark’.

It makes me worry that they’re going to keep writing ‘safe’ characters into the movies that could be used to introduce new ones – or, worse still, that they’re going to start cramming those references into places that they don’t fit.

It makes me worry that they’re going to write scripts based on whichever masturbatory fancasts are popular on twitter, rather than building a long term, interwoven story.

It makes me worry that they’re going to turn the MCU into a parody of itself, where the jokes are always between the fanboys and the director, at the expense of the characters themselves.

It makes me worry that the producers are going to go for the cheapest shots, building bigger and bigger ramps over larger and larger sharks, until the whole thing becomes meaningless

It makes me worry that I’m going to see a Marvel Movie in a few years time, and make the same comments we all make about the Simpsons now – and that makes me sad.

And, okay, I know I haven’t seen the movie yet – so, maybe Tom Cruise will surprise me. Maybe he’ll be a revelation in the role, bringing something so important and meaningful to the story that it’ll become clear why they didn’t give an up and coming actor a chance, or explore the idea of a female Tony Stark variant, or frame Tony as a person of colour, or any of the other ideas that might, on the face of it, have seemed more interesting…

But, in any case, I at least feel better that I’ve worked it out – and I feel better now that I’ve sat here and written it out. So. That’s something, I guess?

[adiarosefandoms]

Today in Fandom History: April 4

Fandom: Actor/Marvel

April 4, 1965, Robert Downey Jr. was born. Ladies and gentlemen, Iron man himself. We all know Downey for playing Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he’s also been in the Sherlock movies, Dr Doolittle (the 2020 version), Weird Science (which I watched recently, and it was so unbelievably weird), The Judge, Zodiac, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, A Scanner Darkly, Heart and Souls, and Chaplin among many, many more. He’s been nominated for two Oscars, won two Golden Globes, a BAFTA, four Saturn’s, three MTV awards, and seven People’s Choice awards.  Actor, co-owner of production company Team Downey, and occasional vocalist who even had an album “The Futurist” come out in 2004, Robert Downey Jr. is an amazing person with an amazing story that includes overcoming tragedy and substance abuse. Happy 57th birthday RDJ! AKA, the man who avenged himself. ❤️ 💛 ❤️ Love you Iron Man❤️ 💛 ❤️

[thevindicativevordan]

What do you think of Tony Stark/Iron Man and what's your opinion on him?

Never really liked him that much, every time I try to get into his comics I usually find them boring. Odd I know, given how big a fan I am of Steel, but Marvel's never succeeded at their attempts to replicate the success of the MCU in getting people to care about Iron Man.

Weird because on paper? Iron Man is probably the most "Marvel" character you can get besides Spider-Man himself. Marvel's gimmick is "heroes with feet of clay" and nobody has bigger feet of clay than Tony. Spider-Man beats himself up over one act of selfishness getting his uncle killed, but Tony was a selfish douchebag for much longer, and many more people died as a result. Heroes in Marvel tend to fight internal foes as often as external ones, and Tony's inner demons (arrogance, lust, alcoholism, etc) are far more dangerous traditionally than his lackluster Rogues Gallery has been. Stan Lee claimed that with Tony he wanted to see just how flawed a hero could be made and still be accepted as a hero. Old Uncle Stan was prone to making claims about his original intentions with characters that were generous to himself at best, but in this case I believe him. We want Tony to succeed because he shows us the worst side of ourselves, but also shows us that we can overcome those negative traits and still be heroes regardless.

In a world where people are constantly complaining about capitalism and the military-industrial complex, it's a testament to RDJ's acting that he was able to take a character whose connection to both is central to who he is, and make him the heart of the MCU. Like everyone else on the planet I enjoyed MCU Iron Man greatly, and I consider RDJ to Tony what Christopher Reeve was to Superman. I thought he got pretty much the perfect ending in Endgame. Tony went out sacrificing himself to save others, the ultimate selfless act finally balancing the scales of his early selfish life. In death he saved more people than his weapons ever killed, thematically it was the best way to wrap up his arc. While MCU Tony is my favorite take on Tony specifically, the best take on the Iron Man Mythos as a whole however? That would be the Iron Man: Armored Adventures cartoon.

That show was so much fun to watch growing up. Killer theme song as well, man do I miss cartoons having theme songs with lyrics. Had great revamps of Iron Man's villains as well, the Mandarin has never looked cooler than he did there. Why the 616 comics haven't copied that shows redesigns for Iron Man's villains I'll never understand. Bluntly I also don't understand what the hell Marvel is doing with 616 Tony. They completely wasted the opportunity to make him a big deal that the MCU offered, and the creative choices that have been done with 616 Iron Man seem completely counterproductive to what made him popular in the MCU. RDJ's Tony has a massive complex concerning his father Howard? Well 616 Tony is adopted and we're going to double down on that even though everyone hates it. Baffling choice after baffling choice has been made with the character, what's the point of so blatantly trying to copy some aspects of RDJ's take on Tony, while also veering off so far from his portrayal in others?

If I'm Marvel I'm driving a truck full of cash to Hickman's house and paying him whatever the hell he wants to write the character. He seems to be the only one who can write Iron Man in a way that gets people excited, and Hickman's interests pretty naturally mesh well with the kinds of topics Iron Man should explore. I can't be the only one who would love to see Hickman explore the Homo novissima concept through an Iron Man run right? Iron Man in Hickman's Ultimates and Avengers runs were my favorite takes on the character in comics, and I'd love to read an entire run with Hickman writing Tony.

[ghosthan]

what would you say are the differences between 616 Tony and MCU Tony? 🤔

Hi anon! Many people have talked about this and I'm certainly not the authority on the topic, but I’ll try my best to explain some of the major differences that I have noticed! Thank you for asking and I’m sorry it took me so long to answer you.

Important to note: neither version of Tony has had a totally consistent characterization. Depending on who you ask and which comics/movies they've consumed, they might give you a different answer here and not be wrong.

616 Tony is even harder to put into one box because his character has been around since Tales of Suspense in the 1950s. That’s a long time. Things have changed over time, under different writers, changing political atmospheres, and outside pop culture influence (including influence from the MCU, unfortunately, in recent years.) You get the picture. So I’ll be making some generalizations and try to be clear about which eras I’m speaking when I make these comparisons, but ultimately, if someone wanted to be contrarian, you could probably refute a lot of what I say here if you cherry pick canon. Which is fair enough! That’s sort of the fun of comics, there’s so much to choose from and something for everyone.

So here are some observations from me, under the ‘read more’.

1. Physical Appearance

This is sort of an easy one, but worth mentioning!

MCU Tony does not look like 616 Tony. RDJ is great, but he would not be most 616 fans’ casting choice on looks alone. MCU Tony is tan, a Malibu man, with brown hair and brown eyes, and RDJ has sort of round facial features (a funny sloped nose, big, round eyes, round forehead, not a particularly sharp or classically “superhero masculine” face.) As you may know, this lends well to certain fanworks and tropes, such as Tony having Bambi eyes.

Or Tiny Tony. He is not actually canonically small, but he's smaller in the MCU than in 616 and from what I can tell, a portion of fandom has latched onto that. He’s a grown man, but RDJ is pretty short, and of slighter build than 616 Tony. RDJ is 5′9, but they make him act in heels, and I believe his canon MCU height is 5′11. Another popular trope I’ve seen is shrinking Tony in fanfic/fanart for a dramatized height difference with Steve, making him weak or fragile; this is fine because everyone has their own taste, but for the official record, he’s a capable, strong guy! Especially in earlier stages of the MCU, in which he’s a bit younger. Tony isn’t just a brain; he carries out his plans with his own two hands! He builds his armor, he remodels his lab, he survives hand to hand combat when he doesn’t have the armor. Muscles!

616 Tony is 6′1 without armor and 6′6 in armor (making him taller than his 616 Steve counterpart in armor and very close to the same height out of armor!) 616 Tony is generally paler with black hair (sometimes the classic blue-black I love so much) and blue eyes, and it obviously depends on the artist, but he has a pretty typically ‘masculine’ face and build. Generally he is drawn with a squared jaw and a high bridged nose (such as in the Extremis storyline, or drawn by Marquez), but again, this varies from artist to artist! Here's some examples of 616 Tonys.

Wait, you might be saying, but I have seen comic panels where Tony has brown hair/brown eyes!

Yep. Due to a combination of forgetfulness, inconsistency, and the MCU bleeding into the general consciousness of the comics, sometimes Tony is randomly depicted in the image of RDJ, or if not in his image, at least visually inspired by the MCU-- hair color and style, eye color, dialogue, etc.

616 fans don’t typically love this; he’s very handsome when drawn this way, of course, (look at him!) But it isn’t really the same character.

Also, MCU Tony has (at least for some of his movies) a reactor built into his chest. While 616 Tony has, at times, been more or less physically connected/dependent to his tech, he doesn’t have the built in reactor (most generally speaking, there are times in comics when he temporarily has the tech built in, but this isn’t really the status quo.)

2. Relationship with parents/ family history

While it is definitely implied in the MCU that Howard was not a good father to Tony, (such as in Iron Man 2 when Tony says “You're talking about a man whose happiest day of his life was shipping me off to boarding school” and “He was cold, calculating, never told me he loved me, never even told me he liked me”), Tony has a different sort of attitude toward Howard in MCU than in 616. It’s kind of weird, and hard to discuss. To me, it seems implied that MCU Howard was emotionally abusive to Tony based on what Tony does say about his childhood, and yet, the films kind of randomly give Howard weird moments of “Well, he tried his best and deep down he loved me the whole time!” forgiveness. MCU has a Howard kink and I'm very cringe-face emoji about it.

For example, Iron Man 2 shows that old film reel of Howard talking about how Tony is the greatest thing he ever created, and in Endgame, when Tony goes back in time, he meets Howard and has a very weird interaction with him in which Howard declares he would do anything for his son, (to his deeply damaged son who is a new father himself.) Yet, for all his talk, it's his actions that speak, and his actions left Tony damaged, traumatized, and emotionally inept at forming healthy relationships. So.

Sorry. I’m a little bitter. I'm just uncomfortable with how they sort of set up an abuse history but then treated it kind of lightly and Howard gets off the hook as "well, he tried his best" without really acknowledging the hurt he caused.

Avengers: Endgame 2019

I won't go super in depth into the abuse stuff because it's a little touchy and could take up a lot of this post. But.

I’m not against any reconciliation and I do appreciate the fact that a lot of times, victims of abuse feel a desire to forgive and reconnect with their abuser-- my issue with the MCU depiction of Tony and Howard is that Tony never really gets the vindication of his abuse being recognized for what it was before he forgives Howard. To me, that’s not forgiveness as kind of... gaslighting himself that it wasn't as bad as he remembered his own experience being, because of a sense of nostalgia and grief. It’s not the same, and I have issues with it.

However, a lot of my opinion is based on subtext and it is just my opinion; with depictions of abuse, different people are going to react differently, and other people may have found these scenes touching and gotten something positive out of them, and that's totally fine too!

It’s also a bit difficult to talk about Tony’s relationship with Howard in 616, for a few reasons: shifting timelines, lots of canon that I have not read all of, and the fact that it really is difficult to sum up such a complicated relationship.

Right off the bat, I’ll address the basics. I used the same scene in another ask, and I think it's frequently cited in any meta regarding Howard, but in Iron Man Vol. 1, we see more into Tony’s childhood and see Howard verbally abusing his family, drunk, at the dinner table.

Iron Man Vol. 1 #285

We get this scene with adult Tony’s retrospective commentary on how his own issues that he blamed himself for were actually a cycle starting with his father, the insecurity and abuse and alcohol, and that he realizes how much this has influenced him. Both MCU Tony and 616 Tony have some form of “stop the cycle of shame” arcs, but I don’t really see how this works narratively in the MCU because Tony makes excuses for Howard and continues to blame himself for a lot of his own personal struggles, whereas I think there’s just a bit more nuance in 616.

But uh. This isn’t totally true, and in recent years, things got real weird. I choose to ignore this chapter of canon, but in the Dan Slott run, Tony Stark: Iron Man, Tony’s whole backstory gets imploded. For one thing, the little of Tony’s childhood it shows in a flashback is uh. Uh. Well, it’s certainly out of character compared with previous 616 material, depicting Tony as an overly confident poor sport.

Basically, Tony is adopted. Tony has an evil brother. Tony’s biological parents make an appearance, as do his ‘classic’ parents, Howard and Maria. It’s just weird. It’s kind of out there. I’m honestly not a huge fan of this and ignore a lot of it, but it is certainly a difference between MCU and 616.

3. Personality

I’m going to be very general. Both Tony’s have an outer self which they present to the public and an inner self, but they’re a bit different. Both Tony’s have struggled with self loathing, but I think MCU Tony’s actual self worth is a bit higher, even just at some points in time. Even if his ego is part of his facade, I think he does believe some amount of the “I’m awesome”, even if just when it applies to his own work/inventions/saving people. Not to say that these moments of fluctuating self esteem make him egotistical, but this combined with his egotistical act and snarky, non-stop sassy dialogue, he’s quite different in general personality from 616 Tony, who is much more reserved.

Some more recent iterations of 616 Tony have been adapted to reflect the snark of the MCU, but he’s not so snarky and he tends to approach things more seriously. This is not a dis on MCU Tony; I think MCU Tony uses false ego and excessive sassy jokes as a means to deflect and control, which I think is very interesting and it’s nice to see this explored more in depth in fic where you get to see the thought process behind the bravado. MCU Tony is a partier, a good times guy, especially during Iron Man 2, in which he really does disregard consequences to have fun (driving his race car, partying drunk in his suit, letting pretty  girls play with the armor, shooting off repulsor blasts for fun in a crowded room); I’m not bashing MCU Tony-- I think he had psychologically understandable reasons for behaving this way, the man was dying-- but 616 Tony really doesn’t act this way generally, and I think it’s a personality difference more than a difference of one being “better.”

616 Tony handles his stress differently, and they just have different psychological patterns, I think. I’m coming up kind of blank trying to think of a good comparable 616 arc, (sorry, I’m brain dead) but a less-than-perfect  example might be Tony’s brain delete arc; he’s “dying”, like in Iron Man 2 he  knows his expiration date, (circumstances are quite  a bit different), but he throws himself more into work, into a cause, and as he really fall apart, we  see him spiral into self doubt, remorse, fear, and insecurity, sort of falling into  himself with lots of manly tears and calling himself pathetic.

(Some things happen in this arc that a lot of people find Gross. I also find these events gross. But. I don’t count the sex in “World’s Most Wanted” as partying to cope with personal mortality, because I think both character involved are in “end of the world” mode, and it’s more seeking intimacy for comfort than partying to numb the hurt. Does this distinction make sense? No? Perfect, moving on.) 616 Tony is generally much more humble.

Whereas MCU Tony, I think, tries to outrun those feelings via parties or making dozens of new suits, or seeking comfort by comforting others! Gifting things to people, building things for people, highly personalized individual living quarters, teaching Nebula games and trying to show her a fun time when they were in peril together.

They have some traits in common, for sure! But canon being inconsistent both in the MCU and in 616, my observations aren’t the rule, because I’m kind of cherry picking and going based on limited memory. But off the top of my head, they’re both extravagant gift givers! Recall Tony gifting Pepper the giant bunny in Iron Man 3, and compare this with Tony carrying a mile high pile of Christmas gifts after shopping with Rumiko in Iron Man Vol. #3.

I would say that while both Tony Starks are considered humanitarians, this is much more fleshed out and supported by canon in 616. Some examples of his philanthropy in the MCU: Tony makes charitable donations of art and money, Tony has an organization which provides disaster relief/cleanup which is referenced in Spider-Man Homecoming, Tony has an MIT grant for students and staff members. But to be honest, a lot of his MCU philanthropy is only mentioned in passing, or is largely handled by other people on his behalf and on his dollar.

In 616, we see Tony using charity almost as a means of therapy: it’s something he does very privately, not in the public eye (at least, not always), and it’s something deeply personal to him. One example that immediately comes to mind is Tony’s home for disadvantaged girls in Iron Man Vol. 3, and we see scenes of Tony basically driving the streets at night, picking up underage prostitutes, feeding them and listening to their stories before bringing them to a home he’s established where he knows all the residents, and provides educational opportunities and protection.

Another more recent example in canon that the Tony fandom loves is that Tony canonically holds babies at an orphanage. Sorry I don’t have panels for all of this, this section got long and I have been working on answering this ask in a very scattered way for a very long time.

Both Tony’s are romantics, I literally could write a whole other post about their canon love life similarities and differences, but I will briefly say that while MCU Tony does the long on and off, and eventual ultimate commitment, to Pepper Potts, 616 Tony is a serial monogamist; he is always falling in love, and he’s definitely not a playboy, but the hero-ing, self loathing, and lifestyle make it very hard for him to keep anyone in his life, and most of his partners fuck his life up and betray him. Needless to say, 616 Tony is not married, and certainly not to Pepper Potts.

Oh, and I guess this is so obvious I almost forgot to include it, but a huge similarity between both iterations of Tony is that they both constantly use their own life as a bargaining chip, and will pretty much die for anything. Or be the bad guy for a good reason (at least, in his own mind... see Civil War, or Hickmanvengers; 616 Tony, especially, does not shy away from making the hard decisions, and this leads to a lot of guilt and tension in his  relationships-- often with Steve because 616 Steve/Tony angst fans are well fed, I guess)

Remember that time Tony had Steve’s mind wiped because Tony felt that Steve’s inflexible morality might hinder the Illuminati’s ability to save the world? And it eats Tony up inside and erupts into a homicidal fight when Steve finally gets his memory back? Me too.

Tony Stark as a character is defined by sacrifice, both of his own life but also of his own happiness and reputation and conscience, I think, in a lot of ways, and we see this in many universes. I could go on about Tony’s propensity for sacrifice in the less obvious ways, because I think in terms of heroic sacrifice, Tony has done a lot that other heroes wouldn’t be able to do because of moral inflexibility and conflicting philosophical schools of thought; Tony really is the “whatever it takes” type, and often believes the ends justify the means if he deems a threat worse than the potential wrong that could be done in preventing the threat. We see this a little bit in the MCU in the creation of Ultron, and in Civil War with the Accords. But there’s a whole lot more going on there I don’t want to get into.

4. Alcohol

MCU Tony’s alcoholism is never really explicitly explored. He is shown drinking in Iron Man 1, and in Iron Man 2 he drinks a lot and makes a fool of himself publicly, but MCU Tony doesn’t get any specific narrative arc focused on his drinking, and if I recall correctly, I don’t think he ever refers to his drinking as alcoholism in the movies? Also, while his binge drinking and embarrassing behaviors ostensibly stop after the events of Iron Man 2, he is shown drinking on screen at least one other time after that which I can remember, and it wasn’t a “falling off the wagon” moment, and an alcoholic in recovery such as 616 Tony would not take a drink casually. This article sheds a little light on some decisions made about Tony and alcohol in the MCU.

Alcoholism is a huge part of 616 Tony’s personality, which I went a bit more into depth about in this post, so I won’t repeat myself too much.

5. Their relationships with the Iron Man armor

A few points here: MCU Tony is famous for the “I am Iron Man” line being repeated throughout the franchise after he blows his own secret in the end of the first movie. MCU Tony sees himself as one with Iron Man, and the suit is the tech that enables him to be this version of himself. He sees Tony Stark and Iron Man as inextricable: you cannot separate them, and his identity is public. He, as Tony Stark, is an Avenger.

You may remember MCU Tony’s induction into the Avengers; in Iron Man 2, Nick Fury is forming the Avengers and tasks the Black Widow with going undercover to assess Tony to be a part of a hypothetical initiative. “Iron Man yes, Tony Stark no” and the comments about Tony as a narcissist may be funny, but the fact is, the snark and erratic personality of MCU Tony at the time of the formation of the Avengers in the movies is not at all like the Tony of the comics, at the time of the Avengers being formed. 

In 616, things are quite a bit different! Tony invents the Iron man armor to save himself (like in the MCU) and uses it for hero-ing, but in secret. He works very hard to protect his identity as Iron Man, and for a long time, as far as the world is concerned, Iron man is a mystery man piloting armor built by Tony, hired as Tony’s personal body guard, (hence the 616 Steve/Tony fandom’s proclivity for identity porn as a trope!) When the Avengers form, Iron Man is the Avenger, close friends with the Avengers, (particularly Steve!) and Tony Stark is just the benefactor of the Avengers, providing them with a place to live and finances with which to operate.

In the very early days, Tony did not have the “reactor” like in the MCU, but his chest plate did keep him alive, leading to some very dramatic shots of Tony charging up using a wall socket, lamenting the plight of a secret hero.

616 Tony, generally, and especially in some of these earlier comics, was quite reserved, rather serious, and very angsty, (in private of course.) He may be wealthy, but speaking generally, he’s much less ostentatious than MCU Tony, less of a show off, less into flashy things and grand gestures. Of course, this isn’t always true in the comics, and some iterations of Tony are more like this than others, but MCU Tony is showier, sillier, and more of a fun-times guy. Any MCU fan would find those panels quite contrary to the Tony Stark you know:

Iron Man 1

Iron Man 2

I think I would say that while MCU Tony sees himself and the Iron Man identity and the  armor as all being inextricably connected, we see a bit more compartmentalization with 616 Tony, who pretends that the armor is a whole separate person for years when his identity was private, and we see instances in older and newer comics, in which Tony  is uncomfortable with some aspect of himself as Iron Man (for instance, during the second drinking arc, Tony temporarily swears off being Iron Man entirely, or for another example, when Tony is in a comma and Tony AI exists during Secret Empire, Tony “lives” in the Iron Man suit, and I think this could be interpreted as a meta parallel to Steve during this arc; Steve has had some core aspect of his character inverted, Captain America becoming Captain Hydra, so Tony experiences a similar inversion-- Tony Stark and Iron Man are forcibly merged, in a way that Tony seems deeply uncomfortable with, if his digital drinking relapse is any indication. But I digress; sorry for the tangent.)

Okay this post is inexcusable long, and very, very tangential, and I don’t feel like I’ve really covered everything I wanted to. But it has been sitting in my inbox for too long and if I don’t post it now I never will, so I hope this long, rambling thing has been a little bit helpful to you! Thank you so much for asking, I had a lot of fun rambling about this.

If you want to read a similar post, but well written and organized, with other insights, this post by Sineala answers a similar question!

[marvel-lous-things]

(Tungly.hell isn't letting me answer this in ask form so here)

Long ass post time

Okay spidey's rumoured to be coming back but this concept's fucking hilarious anyway so I'm going with it

Aight. So. The Avengers still exist.

ExcEPT

They're called the Vengeance Boyz

And they are a super secret boyband (more like rly fuckin obscure and unheard of but let's not be mean)

Their lead guitarist is a skinny blond twink named Roger Stevens. He insists that everyone call him Champion USA

Their drummer is a huge buff dude. Played by Chris Hemsworth. In sunglasses. And a he-man wig.

His name is Thorn

Nobody asks why a grown ass man in a dollar store wig and ray ban sunglasses is playing a 17 year old

Which is

Pretty on brand for Hollywood tbh

Oh also

He collects hammers. There's a hammer in the background of every scene he's in. Nobody questions that either. Nobody even notices the hammers. Why are there so many hammers.

Also, Thorn's full name is Throckmorton

Yes like your cousin Throckmorton

(look it up)

Peter did want to join them and he did get an opportunity but he turned it down because becoming lead singer was too much responsibility. He'd rather stick to neighborhood wide karaoke for now.

Then there's nick fury. except there is no nick Fury

It's actually Peter's school principal, Nicki Funaj

She wears an eyepatch on her right eye. It's not damaged or anything she just thinks it looks cool (she's right)

Oh and Happy Hogan is now a woman named Joy Gohan. She's the forehead of security at Peter's school

Also she still has a thing for Aunt May because we can't throw the entire MCU away, now, can we?

(no)

(no we can't)

AND NOW FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT BIT

Tony Stark whomst? We only stan Antoni Starr in this house

CEO of Starr Incorporated, leading manufacturers of high tech prosthetics, also really into research of self sustaining energy for some reason

Y'know, like bic makes condoms and lighters

Or crayons and lighters

Or all three

Or something

whatever

(diversification babey!!!)

Anyway Peter got an internship with Starr Incorporated by accident after he walked into the wrong interview room

Oh and by the way Antoni Starr is played by that one stunt double who Tom Holland mistook for RDJ himself

War Machine is now called Battle Contraption

and it's the pet robot of world renowned robotics pioneer Jiminy Road

He calls it BaCon

Pepper Potts still exists because I love her and I said so

She runs SI's self sustaining energy department and anyone who says otherwise will be jailed

I guess she's renamed to Chilli Potter or some shit idk man

Chilli and Antoni have a son named Marcus Starr who is played by Lexi Rabe with her hair bunched up in a baseball cap

Marcus is always seen wearing absurdly """masculine""" clothing to the point where it's the funniest fucking thing about the franchise

I'm talking a seven year old in cargo pants and a collared camo-patterned shirt with the word MAN written on it in big red text

(yes this is a thinly veiled attempt to keep the ironfam alive)

(shut up)

Peter did build his own suit but only after conveniently finding all the parts to one when he went dumpster diving one day in SI's dumpsters

Nobody knows who threw away a fully functional Spiderman suit in the trash. Along with the accompanying AI.

On a pen drive.

Peter modifies the AI on his windinosaur 98 computer and names it CARMEN

Endgame did happen, but like. In another universe. So. Half the people disappeared and then reappeared again five years later.

There is no explanation

Do not ask for one

(they call it the Bloop)

Thanos is actually a grape juice mascot who gives Peter the creeps

Like the kool aid man

If the kool aid man caused Armageddon in another universe (which, let's be real, he probably did)

The grape juice is called Snappos

Snap-pos

(Heh)

And therein ends my frankly stellar attempt at fixing Sony's plot holes

BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE.

The best goddamn part: Tom Holland is told Absolutely Nothing About Anything. He's just released onto set like a horse in a hospital and expected to deal.

Because he'll spoil Everything the second he hears about it smh the fool

But also because. it's just really fucking funny to mess with him.

His script contains two lines:

(which is an improvement on his MCU scripts let's be real)

"Peter Parker: [improvises] and also says "oHmYgoDitsroBERtdoWnEYjR" every time the decidedly-not-rdj stunt double shows up on screen"

And

"Peter Parker: [takes off shirt at least 18 times. No explanation provided.]"

Tom Holland is completely Jon Snow Kin (i.e knows nothing) and we get to watch his real reaction as the reality of change hits him like a sack of potatoes to the knees

examples include StuntDouble!RDJ shaking his hand and congratulating him on being promoted to paid intern (to what?)

and Miles Morales's dad (played by Terry Crews and Terry Crews only no I will not negotiate) accuses him of identity theft

Oh and finally

Peter Parker is bisexual now