With Gamora’s help, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 settles Iron Man’s death as a definitive farewell to Robert Downey Jr.’s original iteration of Tony Stark, making an Avengers: Secret Wars return possible. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame concluded the Infinity Saga with various major casualties, including Loki, Heimdall, Gamora, Vision, Black Widow, and Iron Man. Yet, the Multiverse Saga has brought some of these characters back with the help of the multiverse, which makes it possible for them to eventually rejoin the MCU’s main universe.
The concept of the multiverse is tricky to handle, as it could make heroes and villains practically invincible. Infinite versions of characters could return over and over indefinitely and make death irrelevant. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 takes a big step towards fixing this issue, which multiversal MCU titles such as Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse had already addressed.
The MCU’s New Gamora Confirms That All Multiversal Variants Are Different
Loki introduced the God of Mischief’s most heroic version yet alongside countless other Lokis of all shapes and sizes. Then, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced an evil Doctor Strange and a cool-headed Scarlet Witch, among other variants. Now, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 portrays Avengers: Endgame’s Gamora as a variant who finds herself at home with the Ravagers instead of the Guardians and retains her blunt, distant personality even after meeting Star-Lord and co.
Considering the similar circumstances between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Gamora’s first adventure with the Guardians, the new Gamora’s decisions in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 confirm that all variants are unique not only when they look vastly different from each other but also when their appearance is identical to the original character. Hence, it’s not just that certain variables take variants down increasingly different paths in other universes. Every single MCU variant is a unique character with their own personality, goals, and desires, and whoever dies really stays dead forever.
If Gamora & Loki Can Return, So Can RDJ’s Iron Man In Avengers: Secret Wars
All MCU characters can return in some way thanks to the multiverse. Loki didn’t return to the main MCU universe — or any universe for that matter — but he played a big role in Phase 4 at the TVA’s headquarters during Loki. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Gamora stayed in the MCU’s 616 universe even though Iron Man snapped Thanos’ army in Avengers: Endgame. Likewise, Iron Man could return looking just like Robert Downey Jr.’s original version of the character, and he could even retain most of the original’s personality. However, that new Iron Man variant would never be the same character the MCU followed for more than a decade.
Iron Man Could Be Given A Second, Different MCU Ending
Since any new Iron Man variant would be an entirely different character, the original Iron Man’s MCU story would remain the same and his sacrifice would remain untouched regardless of how many times he’s replaced. While the original Iron Man rests, a new variant could build his own journey, which would take fresh twists and turns as he makes decisions that the original would have never made. Just like Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a new Iron Man could develop new interests and forge unexpected alliances. Whether villainous or more heroic, this Iron Man variant would never interfere directly with the original version’s perfect ending.
A different actor could play Iron Man, but Robert Downey Jr. could also return to the MCU as a new Tony Stark. The MCU could take this opportunity to link back to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness by retooling the popular fan theory of a Superior Iron Man from the MCU’s 838 universe, who could visit the main timeline to exact revenge for Scarlet Witch’s rampage. Otherwise, there are infinite possible Iron Man variants who could play very different roles in Avengers: Secret Wars and receive their own ending like Gamora did in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
