Jon Favreau looks back at his 'Avengers: Endgame' stance with a surprising admission

Director Jon Favreau is revisiting one of the biggest creative decisions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and admitting he didn’t see it clearly at the time.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Favreau revealed that he initially opposed the decision to kill off Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame. Concerned about the emotional impact, he recalled warning directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo that audiences might not respond well to such a major loss.

“I don’t think people are going to like it,” Favreau remembered telling them, adding that the character had been a part of fans’ lives for years.

Despite his hesitation, the Russo brothers moved forward with the storyline, and Favreau now admits they made the right call. He praised the emotional depth of the scene and credited Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow for bringing powerful performances to the moment.

“I was wrong,” Favreau said. “It was handled so well… I was choked up.”

Favreau, who helped launch the MCU by casting Downey as Iron Man in the original Iron Man, has remained closely tied to the franchise, both behind the camera and as Tony Stark’s loyal aide, Happy Hogan.

Meanwhile, Downey is set to return to Marvel, but not as Iron Man. The actor will take on the role of Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, a move that has already sparked excitement among fans.

Looking back, Favreau acknowledged that while he feared the impact of Iron Man’s death, it ultimately gave the story a lasting emotional weight, and helped define one of the MCU’s most memorable moments.