10 MORE Incredibly Clever Moments Of MCU Movie Foreshadowing

Okay, so it’s no wonder we missed this bit of foreshadowing upon first viewing as it’s masked by one of the film’s best punchlines. During a heated exchange in The Avengers as Captain America grows weary of his snark and searches for some more traditional all-American heroism among the Avengers, he challenges Tony Stark with the famously (luckily not literally) armour-piercing question, "Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?".

There’s no two ways about it, the classic response “genius playboy philanthropist—besides, everything special about you came from a bottle” cemented Stark as the sharp, sarcastic wit of the team, and it’s a pretty effective silencer.

However the question gains new poignancy come the end of Endgame, when Tony literally loses his suit through the constant stream of damage meted out by Thanos and his army in the final battle. After countless hints at his fate in earlier flicks, the loss doesn’t stop Tony from fighting alongside his teammates and ultimately saving the day, even at the eventual cost of his own life.

Stark’s character arc effectively asked us what Tony was underneath his supersuit, and the answer was a selfless hero and inspiration to the next generation.