Russo brothers reveal the Infinity War twist they scrapped — and how it would have changed Iron Man's fate

If you ever wondered how close Marvel got to pulling the plug on Tony Stark one movie earlier, the answer is: closer than you might think. The Russo brothers just admitted they seriously toyed with wrapping up Iron Man in Avengers: Infinity War before deciding to save the hammer drop for Endgame. And yes, they’re still fanning flames around Avengers: Doomsday with some very pointed teases.

The Iron Man 'what if' the Russos almost did

Anthony and Joe Russo have been at the wheel for the MCU ’s biggest swings, steering both Infinity War and Endgame into the pop-culture stratosphere. But that doesn’t mean those choices were locked from day one. In a new chat with CBR, Joe Russo says the team actively explored ending Tony’s story in Infinity War.

"We thought, 'They're not expecting it. This could be the best place to possibly do it.' Then we went, 'F*** it, let's just do it in the next movie'"

Translation: they debated the shock value of ending Tony in Infinity War, then pushed it to Endgame so the sacrifice could hit harder and close out the Infinity Saga with actual finality. It’s a very Russo move: stress-test the bold idea, make sure it pays off emotionally, and only then commit.

Why that pivot mattered

Tony Stark isn’t just another hero in that era of the MCU; he’s the emotional spine. Keeping his final chapter for Endgame gave Marvel a clean landing: the snap reversal, the farewell, and the sense that the first decade of this universe actually concluded. It also tells you a lot about how those movies were built — nothing sacred, everything on the table, until it feels right.

Doomsday drumbeat: teases, rumors, and a few eyebrow-raisers

With Avengers: Doomsday looming, the Russos (and the internet) haven’t exactly been subtle about stirring conversation. Here’s the recent wave of chatter and clues, separated into what’s teased, rumored, or just plain intriguing:

• AGBO’s SXSW London tease: The Russos’ banner shared a festival image that tucked Doctor Doom’s insignia into the design. The event ran June 1–6, and while there were no official announcements, the timing — while Doomsday work is ongoing — had fans convinced it’s part of a slow-burn marketing rollout.
• A casting claim that won’t die: A DiscussingFilm tweet from July 28, 2024 declared Robert Downey Jr will star as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and pegged it for May 2026 in theaters. Treat it as a claim, not confirmation — but it’s been fueling speculation ever since.
• Alleged footage leak: On June 14, 2026, the Marvel Updates account posted that Doomsday footage had leaked. Standard caveat applies: internet clips are not the same thing as studio-approved looks.
• Suit upgrades talk: David Harbour has teased new upgrades for the Avengers’ gear in Doomsday. If you’ve seen those heavy builds before, you can imagine the comfort trade-offs.
• Production check-in: Wyatt Russell has offered a positive update after a major filming milestone, which lines up with the idea that Marvel is deep in post and picking its moments to show cards.

The bigger takeaway

From almost ending Tony in Infinity War to dropping coy Doom signals years later, the Russos keep proving their process is flexible and very much driven by impact. The headline moments in the MCU weren’t inevitable — they were choices, argued over and re-shaped, until they landed with the right kind of punch. Honestly, that’s the fun part: seeing how close the movies we know came to being something very different.