Robert Downey Jr. Resisted Adding That Last-Minute Closing Line to ‘Endgame’
Written by SOURCE on May 6, 2019
Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo announced that Monday, May 6 marks the official end of the spoiler ban on the Marvel film, and the occassion arrived alongside a trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home. Now that their ban is no longer in effect, they’ve been willing to open up more about what went into creating the blockbuster. In a new interview, the brothers spoke once again about a pivotal line that almost never made the film.
*Avengers: Endgame spoilers ahead*
Speaking with Reel Blend for a podcast, the directors outlined the very last scene they shot for the film. They previously spoke about how Tony Stark’s final line, “I am Iron Man,” in response to Thanos’ “I am ineviable,” came together last-minute and required reshoots, but now they’ve said Robert Downey Jr. didn’t want to say it.
Originally, Stark simply said nothing as he snapped his fingers, sacrificing himself to save everyone and finally kill Thanos and his army. “It’s an interesting story. I had dinner with [Downey] like two weeks before we were supposed to shoot it,” Joe Russo explained. “And he was like, ‘I don’t know. I don’t really want to go back and get into that emotional state. It’ll take…it’s hard.’ And crazily enough, Joel Silver, the producer, was at the dinner. He’s an old buddy of Robert’s. And Joel jumps in and he’s like, ‘Robert, what are you talking about? That’s the greatest line I’ve ever heard! You gotta say this line! You have to do this!’ So thank God that Joel Silver was at dinner, because he helped us talk Robert into doing that line.”
The Russos previously mentioned how editor Jeff Ford suggested the line to them after they pondered whether Stark should say something in response to Thanos. Downey himself, meanwhile, suggested that Stark say nothing as he laid dying in front of his friends. “It was his choice to not speak,” Joe Russo said. “That was his instinct saying, ‘I’m going to be truthful to what this situation is.'”
Listen to the full epiosde of the podcast above.
