WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War, in theaters now.



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There were a lot of moments in Avengers: Infinity War (directed by Joe and Anthony Russo) that seemed fairly minor, more so when presented right before one of the film's many powerful, exciting scenes. The quieter moment still have meaning and are worth exploring, especially since some of them have helped set things up for Avengers 4, which, according to Kevin Feige, will offer a definitive conclusion to the overarching plot that has driven the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far.

One of those smaller moments comes right after the title screen flashes. We see Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) walking through a park in New York alongside his new wife, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Stark is trying to explain his desire to have a kid after a having a dream about become a father. His decision to liken the manifestation of that dream to wetting a bed might not be a great sign, but the conversation as a whole may be a solid indication of things to come.


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Though Tony may be excited to start having kids, as Pepper reveals toward the end of that conversation, she's not actually expecting and she begins to question Stark's desire, pointing to the arc reactor on his chest (which, as he admits, is no longer necessary following the events of Iron Man 3). That scene raises an interesting question: Is Tony Stark actually ready to have children? It would be far from a sudden change of heart for him; this has been something Stark's character has been slowly and subtly growing toward since the very beginning.

And this is why it would make it the perfect conclusion to a character arc that, come Avengers 4, will have spanned more than a decade.

Tony-Stark-Iron-Man

When we were first introduced to Tony Stark in 2008, he was an eccentric billionaire who seemed to care for little else other than his close personal friends and the fun he was having. He surrounded himself with booze, gambling and beautiful women, all thanks to the money he earned from selling weapons to anyone rich enough to buy them. It wasn't until he was captured by terrorist group The Ten Rings that he began to see the kind of horror he had indirectly inflicted upon the victims of his weapons. That was the beginning of his growth. He took it upon himself to create something that could end the horror with power that could not fall into the wrong hands. That was when he made the choice to act on compassion and use his genius and his resources to benefit the world.

His business may have changed for the better, but when Stark united with the Avengers for the first time, we saw his personal flaws highlighted against the steady, dutiful Steve Rogers and the calm, thoughtful Bruce Banner. It was an interesting turning point for him because in fighting against Loki and the Chitauri, Tony proved that he could be completely selfless, a change illustrated by his willingness to sacrifice his own life to save Manhattan from nuclear destruction.

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That battle affected him a great deal and in Iron Man 3 (directed by Shane Black) we saw Stark trying to deal with PTSD, turning to his suits to maintain a sense of security. In an act of devotion to Pepper, he destroyed those suits to prove to her and to himself that he didn't need them. It was a beautiful moment, but the effects wouldn't last. Tony underwent surgery to remove the shrapnel from his heart but he continued to wear the arc reactor. He destroyed his suits but as we could see in Avengers: Age of Ultron (directed by Joss Whedon), Tony continued to make more.


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His deep seated insecurities and fears led him to create Ultron, using Loki's staff. He was reprimanded but he defended himself ardently and tried to justify his actions with the argument that creating something like Ultron would ensure the world's safety from other-worldly forces. It was a goal he realized was ultimately foolish, but by then, it was too late. Sokovia had been destroyed and the guilt of it weighed heavily on Stark, as we would later see in Captain America: Civil War.

Tony-Stark-Spider-Man-Homecoming

Things changed for Stark in the aftermath of the Accords. He became a mentor to Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland). That's when all that growth and development we had seen in Stark became clear as day. He was still flawed but he showed us that he had learned from each one of his experiences. He was ready to guide someone else so they avoided the mistakes he had made so many times before. We saw that when he scolded Peter after the ferry incident, telling him outright that he wanted Peter to be a better man than he.

So why does any of this matter when it comes to Stark's conversation with Pepper in Avengers: Infinity War?

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Pepper has always been a guiding force for Tony... or at least, she's tried to be. Despite Stark's tendency to dismiss the advice of others, Potts has always been dedicated to ensuring that no one, including Stark himself, gets hurt because of his reckless actions, be it party-goers at the Stark mansion in Iron Man 2, Tony himself in Iron Man, or Stark Industries in almost every film she appears in. She knows Tony better than he knows himself, asks the right questions and ensures that he's able to answer them

Which is why the park scene in Avengers: Infinity War is so interesting. Pepper didn't shoot down his suggestion that they have children. Rather, she seemed to be questioning him in such a way as to ensure that it was something he would take seriously, guiding him as always down a vital line of thought.


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Pepper Potts in her office in Iron Man 2

If we look at Stark's arc thus far, we can see that he has grown a lot, and dealt with more, including his father's inability to properly connect with him. He's not the weapons manufacturer that lives an eccentric, carefree lifestyle anymore. He's the genius that frequently protects the world against huge threats. He's the hero who spends millions to provide young, brilliant minds with funding for their research, who recognizes that he's deeply flawed and does his best to prevent others from experiencing the consequences of mistakes he knows all too well. It sounds like he's ready to be a parent. Much more so than he was before anyway. He's a husband and a mentor now, a child is the natural next step in Stark's journey.

A child for Tony Stark would no doubt provide a meaningful end to his character arc. Instead of focusing on the development of his Iron Man suits, he would focus on his own special little creation with Pepper. It'd be a reason for him to leave the world of superheroes behind, knowing that he had done his part and that he'll have a different kind of responsibility. It's one way of exhibiting the complete transformation Tony Stark has been undergoing all these years.

Tony Stark tilts his sunglasses down as he sits with Nick Fury at a diner table

It would also end the story of Iron Man without killing him off like so many fans expected and it would allow for future appearances in Phase 4. After all, Samuel L. Jackson won't be Nick Fury forever, and someone has to bear the mantle of king of MCU cameos. Who better than Tony Stark, whom, in the comics, actually took over as director of S.H.I.E.L.D for a time. In this way, he could be eased out of the MCU's spotlight, allowing for a smoother transition to a new principle cast.


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The parenthood route is almost completely conjecture at this point, but judging from the park scene and Tony's treatment of Peter Parker, it does seem like the direction in which Infinity War screenwriters, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, were trying to take him. We won't know until Avengers 4 of course, but we're hoping that Tony and Pepper get that happy ending they deserve.


Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Anthony Mackie as the Falcon, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, Chris Pratt as Star Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Vin Diesel as Groot, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Josh Brolin as Thanos. In theaters now.