The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the pinnacle of pop culture and a big reason for that is because of Iron Man. 2008's Iron Man film caused a revolution and for many fans, it's still the best of the MCU. He quickly became the most important character in the movies, overshadowing all of the others. He was the center of attention in every scene he was in.
Iron Man created the MCU and his absence from it has people wondering what's going to happen without him. The MCU does a lot better than anyone else and going forward without a central character could be something new for them, something that would make the forthcoming phases different from what came before.
10 Why It Needs Another Central Hero: There Are Lots Of Heroes That Could Use The Spotlight
One of the best things about Iron Man suddenly becoming the center of the MCU is how unexpected it was. Iron Man hadn't been a big deal in comics for a long time and getting so much spotlight on him was great. However, with him gone, it gives the chance for another unexpected hero to step up.
There are a lot of great heroes who could right now step up and take Iron Man's place. One of the MCU's greatest strengths is its skill in building heroes and there are plenty of characters who are ready to step up and become the new number one.
9 It Doesn't Need One: It Can Be More Interesting Without One
Everybody loved Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man but it could get a little annoying with him always showing up in the center of everything, getting all the best lines, and saving the day all the time. It made one wonder what the rest of Avengers were even there for, since Iron Man could (and often did) handle anything.
The MCU could go in many different directions from where it is and most of those stories don't need a single character in the middle of them to be the focus. The whole point of the MCU is that it's a universe— it doesn't need one main character.
8 Why It Needs Another Central Hero: That's How The Whole Thing Has Been Built All Along
Almost from the beginning, Iron Man was the center of attention. As the first hero and played by the biggest star, Iron Man was positioned from the beginning in the center of things and that's how the MCU worked. It was built around one character, with all of the others playing off them.
The MCU is formulaic and that formula demands a central focus. The MCU built up Iron Man, basically creating him to be the central character. When something is built around a formula, suddenly changing things can be jarring for fans and creators. Keeping the formula unchanged is a good idea.
7 It Doesn't Need One: There Are So Many Directions To Go In That A Central Hero Doesn't Make Sense
The first three Phases of the MCU were all build around the threat of Thanos and the Infinity Stones. This gave everything a focus, which is why it made sense for the MCU to have a central hero. Right now, with the loss of their biggest names, the MCU is in a rebuilding year, as it were, and jumping right back to a central hero would limit things.
Phase Four has felt like it has been exploring things and giving a new view of the MCU. The best way to continue that is to not just jump right back into having a central character. It will let things grow organically and change the way the MCU works.
6 Why It Needs Another Central Hero: The Heroes Need Someone New To Look Up To
One of the great things about Iron Man was how the other characters looked up to him and what that looked like. With Spider-Man, it was straight up hero worship but in the other heroes it took different angles. How the heroes felt about Iron Man was a staple of things in the MCU and there are plenty of heroes who could step up in that place.
The MCU has built a lot of great characters into would-be role models and its time to see another character take that role. It will be interesting to see how another takes being the next big thing in the MCU.
5 It Doesn't Need One: Nothing Being Set Up At This Point Needs A Major Central Character
So far, Phase Four has looked to be about the multiverse and dealing with that. There doesn't really need to be a central hero for this kind of thing— it's more interesting to explore a multiverse concept without having one hero be the center of it. An Iron Man-like central character for this type of story would hurt it more than anything else.
While it wouldn't be impossible to put a central character into the story, they would be superfluous. Even with ones that seem like good choices for it— Doctor Strange or Scarlet Witch— it would hurt what's being built right now to put someone at the center of it.
4 Why It Needs Another Central Hero: Fans Are Used To It
The MCU has built itself in a very certain kind of way and fans have gotten used to it. The Marvel formula is well known and suddenly changing it completely can be a bit too jarring for a lot of fans. MCU fans want someone they can identify as the leader and going on without one might not be the best idea.
Fans have gotten used to an MCU with a central character in the middle of things. Going without one may open things up for new ideas but the MCU has been successful by doing the same thing over and over. Changing the formula too much at this point could hurt things a lot.
3 It Doesn't Need One: Phase Four Is A New Era For The MCU & Should Feel Like It
The end of Phase Three was the end of an era, closing out the Iron Man and Captain America years. Phase Four so far has been about changing the MCU, presenting new and different facets. While the MCU formula is tried and true, if there was any time to completely changes things, it's right now.
The MCU is already in flux and changing the formula wouldn't be a massive surprise at this point. Change is good and embracing it can keep the MCU from getting too tired. Formulas in entertainment can lead to some mediocre places eventually and now is as good a time as any to changes things up.
2 Why It Needs Another Central Hero: It Leads To Blockbuster Moments
Avengers: Endgame is one of the MCU's biggest accomplishments. They were able to pay off a decade of storytelling expertly and some of the movies' best moments came courtesy of Iron Man. Now, if he wasn't as central to things as he is, the movie would still be great but it would lack some of the narrative heft without Iron Man's place in things over the years.
Building a central hero and using them correctly leads to moments like the ones in Endgame. Fans loved those moments, so giving them more with a new character is a great idea.
1 It Doesn't Need Another One: There's Too Many Special Characters To Pick Just One
It was kind of easy for Iron Man to become the center of things. He was the first major character and RDJ was already a household name. People wanted to follow his story, and they did. In the new Phases, there's just too many interesting heroes to choose from to have just one become the central hero.
Right now, there are a lot of great heroes and while many could work as the central one, that doesn't mean there has to be one. On top of that, new ones are always debuting and elevating just one before the rest even show up is bad business. The MCU needs time without one, letting all of the other characters get their time to shine.
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