The death of Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame is one of the saddest moments in MCU, but his loss was extra painful for Peter Parker/Spider-Man for one specific reason. Tony and Peter’s relationship was properly developed by Marvel Studios over the years since they first met during the events of Captain America: Civil War. Their mentor-mentee relationship further progressed in Spider-Man: Homecoming, leading to the events of Avengers: Infinity War. No wonder his pseudo-son’s death hit the genius billionaire the most - so much so that he was willing to suit back up as Iron Man in the hopes of bringing him back.

In the end, the Avengers succeeded in their Endgame endeavor to bring back everyone who was killed by Thanos’ snap, including Spider-Man. Endgame gave audiences a poignant moment between him and Iron Man, who went for a full hug which brought fans back to that moment in Homecoming where the young hero thought his idol was going for a hug but really wasn’t. The reunion, however, didn’t last very long. With 2014 Thanos threatening to wreak havoc, Iron Man took it upon himself to wield the power of all six Infinity Stones to get rid of him, sadly killing him in the process.

His demise was devastating, especially for those who had been there the longest, like Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, and Rhodey. However, aside from his special relationship with Tony, Iron Man’s death also struck Spider-Man on an entirely different level, considering that he’s yet to get over the idea of his supposed passing and eventual resurrection. As Ant-Man, while the real world went through five years between Infinity War and Endgame, it was only a matter of hours for him. Given this, it wasn’t that long after Spider-Man went to Titan, fought Thanos, got dusted, and came back to life that he saw his mentor die in front of him. They weren’t even able to catch up, with Tony unable to tell Peter how he really feels about his surrogate son.

This is a tiny detail that has been overlooked in the MCU. Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Far From Home did show Peter personally mourning the death of Tony. His grief, coupled with the burden to live up to Iron Man’s expectations, greatly affected the young hero in a negative way - so much so that he wanted to give up being Spider-Man altogether. It wasn’t until Happy stepped in and gave Peter the pep talk that put things into perspective for him. There are more stories for Spider-Man coming, and while Tony’s no longer around, it’s safe to say that his legacy will live on through the web-slinging hero.

Admittedly, not everyone was a fan of Marvel Studios’ creative decision to link Spider-Man to Iron Man. Spider-Man is a character who tends to operate on his own, and throughout his years with Sony Pictures, he has proven that he’s a big enough character to carry his own franchise. However, a huge part of MCU’s appeal is to see their characters engage with each other, while their respective stories make up a bigger, cohesive narrative. While Peter entered the franchise a bit late, based on how invested people had been on his relationship with Tony, it’s safe to say that Marvel Studios did a good job fleshing out their dynamic. This is the primary reason why it makes sense that he was so distraught with the death of his mentor in Avengers: Endgame.

More: Endgame’s Thanos Made The Same Funny Mistake Iron Man Did In The Avengers

  • Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11