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Tony Stark’s actions frequently had unintended consequences, for Iron Man and for the MCU. Now Doctor Strange is following in his footsteps.
Just as the 2008 blockbuster Iron Man launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its protagonist Tony Stark served as a catalyst for some of the biggest arcs in “The Infinity Saga.” Although he was, in many ways, the MCU’s linchpin, he also had a dark side, with an arrogance that not only blinded him to potential danger but also actively created new threats.
Marvel’s Phase Three ended with Stark’s self-sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, in which he atoned for his previous shortcomings and helped to save the universe from Thanos. Since then, questions have arisen about who might take Stark’s place at the center of the MCU. Doctor Strange appears to be the most likely candidate at the moment, considering is recent rise in prominence. Unfortunately, however, that may not be a good thing, because Stephen Strange has many of the same flaws that Tony Stark did, but wields exponentially more power.
Strange and Stark share similar backgrounds and temperaments. Both are children of privilege, allowed to develop their extraordinary (if non-super-powered) gifts unfettered. Both were accustomed to being masters of their respective universes, and became heroes following moments of moral reckoning: Stark found out firsthand how his company’s weapons were used, and Strange, a skilled surgeon, lost the ability to use his hands. Both watched the undoing of what they valued most in the world, and resolved to do better.
Yet neither men’s ego diminished as a result, and their respective recklessness led to a number of crises. For Stark, that meant pushing away the people he needed to bring together, most notably in Captain America: Civil War, in which his feud with Steve Rogers splintered the Avengers. Strange, for his part, orchestrated the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home seemingly on a whim, with multiverse-altering results. He looks to do much the same in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and with the introduction of the multiverse looking to affect the entirety of Phase Four, his meddling could create untold threats.
Most telling, however, is that both men are responsible – directly or indirectly – for the creation of a number of villains. Stark’s great Frankensteinian failure was Ultron, but Whiplash, Vulture and Mysterio each stemmed from his activities, and used his technology, while Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3 does what he does, more or less, because Stark blew him off. It’s not a good track record, and with Stark technology continuing to proliferate in the MCU, it has extended beyond his death.
Strange looks to be making up for lost ground in that department, however. No Way Home resulted in five of Spider-Man’s most dangerous foes crossing realities and entering the MCU, and had Peter Parker not made the sacrifice he did, it might have resulted in many more. Mordo hasn’t gone anywhere either, and with Moon Knight on the way, the mystical side of the MCU is becoming larger and more dangerous with each new project. Strange’s combination of self-assurance and devotion to protecting reality at all costs could easily turn him into a spell-casting version of Stark.
Perhaps the most telling sign is the potential for Strange Supreme – the figure from Marvel’s What If…? who destroyed his own reality trying to change what he couldn’t – to formally enter the mainstream MCU in Multiverse of Madness. He’s a threat on par with Ultron, and he’s nothing if not Strange himself making one wrong decision. Stark’s mistakes cost the MCU, although he ultimately paid that bill. But if Strange is on the same path, the consequences may be far more severe.
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