Iron Man and Loki "Deserved to Die," According to Iconic Marvel Directors - Inside the Magic

The Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t been the same without Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) appearing in nearly every movie after their deaths. Still, the Russo Brothers feel the characters “deserved to die.”

Related: “Bigger than Infinity War,” Marvel Directors Skeptical on Returning for ‘Avengers 5’

Loki, the God of Mischief, met his deadly demise at the hands of Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the first half of the Russo Brother’s epic conclusion of a 10-year buildup of Marvel movies leading to Avengers: Endgame (2019), where Tony Stark/Iron Man sacrificed himself with the Infinity Stones to destroy Thanos and restore peace to the universe.

Though both characters’ deaths are deemed necessary catalysts for change in the MCU, every Marvel fan misses seeing Loki and Iron Man appear in new Marvel movies, especially in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).

While Loki has returned to the Marvel Collection in Loki, the hit Disney+ streaming series currently filming its second season, Robert Downey, Jr.’s Iron Man is most likely staying retired, and the Russo’s couldn’t be happier.

Collider writes:

As part of their press tour for their latest film, The Gray Man, the Russo Brothers were invited by Wired to answer some of the internet’s most searched questions involving their names. Since the duo directed four Marvel films and helped shape the MCU, it’s no wonder that many of those questions related to the Russo Brothers’ previous work. However, when the time comes to answer “why did the Russo brothers kill Loki,” Joe Russo just stares at the camera and says that “he deserved to die.” A few moments after, when a new question asks, “why did the Russo brothers kill Iron Man,” Joe Russo repeats the same answer: “he deserved to die.”

The Russo Brothers feel Loki and Iron Man “deserved to die” in their two episodic superhero films. Whether or not the Hollywood pair were kidding is entirely up for speculation. Nonetheless, the ending of these two characters ushered in a new era of heroes introduced in Phase Four, including Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), Captain America (Anthony Mackie), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh).

Related: Charlie Cox Wants Daredevil to Appear “Way, Way More for Many Years” in MCU

The Marvel Universe is becoming much more than iconic characters/Earth’s Mightiest Heroes like Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Tom Holland’s Avenger is leading the way for Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomers Kate Bishop,  Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), Eternals’ Thena (Angelina Jolie), and more — especially with his next Spider-Man trilogy that’s currently in the works.

Do you think Iron Man and Loki deserved to die? Comment below!