Matthew Rudoy: From Iron Man to Avengers—A Journey Through the MCU
Daniel Davis
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 25, 2026, 9:55 AM EDT Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2026, became a news writer in 2026, a senior staff writer in 2026, and an editor in 2026. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
A pivotal figure behind the was initially against the death of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) in Avengers: Endgame.
From Iron Man in 2008 to Avengers: Endgame in 2019, released during those years were dominated by Tony Stark. Jon Favreau's Iron Man kicked off the cinematic universe and set the precedent for everything that would follow, while Joe and Anthony Russo's Endgame culminated more than a decade of storytelling. The latter film included Tony making the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe.
On , Favreau shared that he was originally opposed to Iron Man's Endgame death. He spoke to the Russos about his concerns, which involved much of the audience losing a beloved character they had grown up with since they were children. After seeing the finished movie, though, Favreau changed his mind and felt that the right decision had been made, and now praises the Russos, Downey, and Gwyneth Paltrow for how it was handled. Check out his comments below:
I talked to the Russos, I said, "I don’t know if people are gonna like … I don’t know, it’s really going to impact people because they were kids that grew up with that character." But I have to tell you, it was handled so well by them. And Gwyneth [Paltrow] and Robert did such a wonderful job acting, and I think it added a poignancy to it. I think they did a wonderful job. I was wrong. I was choked up. Even though it’s a movie, those people, those characters, have been part of my life for so long.
As the director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2, and after years of playing Tony's close friend Happy Hogan, Favreau was naturally protective of the character. Avengers: Endgame did not kill Iron Man flippantly, though, but instead made his death a sacrifice that felt earned after years of gradual character development. This won Favreau over, as did the emotional final moments between Tony and Pepper Potts (Paltrow).
Avengers: Endgame concludes the story of Iron Man, but it did not turn out to be the end of Downey's time in the MCU. He is now part of as the villainous Dr. Doom, with his appearance creating considerable anticipation leading up to the movie's theatrical release on December 18. Favreau is among those looking forward to the film, sharing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he is "excited to see" Downey in it.
In terms of Favreau's own MCU character, Happy Hogan, he shared that the "smartest thing I ever did" was give himself the role in Iron Man, as the character's numerous appearances in other films have helped "put my kids through school." Favreau has played Happy in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Deadpool & Wolverine. As seen especially in Far from Home and No Way Home, Happy's story has continued beyond Iron Man's death, serving as a (Tom Holland) and as a love interest for May Parker (Marisa Tomei).
Since helping to launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and when he's not reprising the role of Happy, much of Favreau's time has been committed to Star Wars. He is the creator and showrunner of The Mandalorian, the hit live-action series that shaped Disney+ and the future of the franchise. After ushering in a new era for the franchise via streaming television, he is also at the helm of the return to theaters as the director and co-writer of The Mandalorian and Grogu. The film, which is releasing on May 22, is the franchise's first since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
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