You'll Never Guess Who Could Be MCU's Next Tony Stark
Fans are speculating that an unlikely character may be at the center of the next Avengers movie.
With Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe setting up Kang the Conqueror as the next global threat the Avengers will face in the future, fans are speculating that an unlikely villain-turned-hero will be at the center of this epic showdown.
After Tony Stark sacrificed himself to stop Thanos, the iconic superhero team-up lost its central figure.
Although many other characters could end up replacing Iron Man in the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, a certain god of mischief who has been present in the MCU since Phase 1 is a perfect candidate to take his place, according to fans.
For starters, the comics have recently shown him as the leader of the Multiversal Avengers. In Avengers Forever #12, Avenger Prime removes his helmet and reveals himself to be none other than Loki Laufeyson.
Considering that in the cinematic universe he is the first to confront a multiversal variant of Kang, called He Who Remains, in the first season of the Loki TV series, he is currently one of the most informed characters when it comes to Kang's motivation and weaknesses.
As seen in a post-credits scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as well as promotional materials for the second season of his show, Loki is working against the looming threat.
This bears a striking resemblance to how Tony worked to prevent Thanos' invasion after catching a glimpse of an impending threat in the original Avengers movie.
Also, his and Tony's character arcs are quite similar. Both go from being arrogant and selfish to being selfless heroes, though Loki's transformation is not yet complete.
Fans also believe that Loki may have to make his own ultimate sacrifice at the end of Phase 6.
"Loki should become He Who Remains at the end of the Multiverse Saga, not because he wants to but because he has to. I think it would be a good arc for him to end on," Twitter user joshp201548 said.
While exile until the end of time may not be the same as Tony sacrificing his life, it could still be a difficult decision to make.