Iron Man is a popular MCU character whose appearances aren't limited to his own vehicles; also, what is the proper viewing order?

It has been over a year since Robert Downey Jr. retired from the role of Tony Stark in the movies but the character and his legacy will continue to live on in the films. Over the past decade, fans have received a bunch of epic and amazing Iron Man moments that was won't soon be forgotten and the character left a lasting impact both in-universe and in the real world.

Since it will be a while before Black Widow or any other MCU project comes out, now would be the perfect time to revisit the character's many appearances.

9 Iron Man

The first Iron Man movie is undoubtedly the most important film to come out of the franchise. Not only did it kick off the Iron Man trilogy but it was responsible for setting up the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, marking a major turning point in superhero cinema. It was a perfect initial introduction to a character that not many were familiar with at the time, prepping him to become a household name.

8 Iron Man 2

After the first one proved to be a hit with audiences, the second Iron Man film followed up after he revealed himself to the world as Iron Man and saw Tony deal with the sins of his father through the villain, Whiplash. In addition to bringing back Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, and Gwyneth Paltrow, the cast also introduced us to Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and the recast of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes, finally having him suit up as War Machine. Even though it's considered one of the weaker films, it is still a solid entry to the franchise.

7 The Avengers

The Avengers was the first major crossover in the franchise but it certainly wouldn't be the last. It allowed the audience to see Tony interact with some of their other favorite characters, something that had never been done in live-action before.

Despite Tony's selfish exterior, this would be the film in which we would see him almost sacrificing himself by taking a missile through a wormhole in order to save New York, an action that would continue to affect him mentally for the rest of his life.

6 Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 saw Tony dealing with his PTSD after the events of the previous and helped bring an end to the character's trilogy. It forced out of his element by the Mandarin and having to operate in large part without his suit, proving to himself and the audience that he was just as much of a hero without it. It ends with him finally removing the arc reactor from his chest and destroying all of the Iron Man suits he had made over the years, completely starting from scratch.

5 Avengers: Age of Ultron

Age of Ultron showed that the Avengers were still operating as vigilantes after the fall of SHIELD with the group being funded by Tony and led by Captain America. After recovering Loki's scepter at the beginning of the movie and experiencing the vision that would show him a devastating future in which the team was defeated, Tony worked alongside Bruce Banner to create Ultron with the ultimate goal of global protection. However, he and the team would be forced to fight against the robot once it would become corrupt and attempt to destroy the Earth.

4 Captain America: Civil War

This movie, like Iron Man 3, was one of the more emotional films for the character as it found him and Captain America on opposing sides of a debate about how the Avengers should be handled after the damage caused in Age of Ultron. The movie would also focus on Tony's guilt for his past actions and how that factored into his decision to sign the Accords.

It ended with the Avengers completely fractured after he learned the painful truth about his parents' deaths at the hands of the Winter Soldier. Despite the more serious elements, the film still managed to keep a fun and balance tone due to things like the introduction of Spider-Man and his relationship with Tony being established.

3 Spider-Man: Homecoming

Although he's in the movie for less than 10 minutes, Tony plays an important part in the story as he takes on a new role as a mentor to a young Peter Parker. He is shown constantly monitoring Peter, believing that he's unprepared to deal with Avengers-level threats while also teaching him an important lesson about the hero being more valuable than the suit they wear. The film ends with him offering Peter a new suit and a spot on the Avengers after he successfully manages to take down Vulture, an offer that Peter ends up rejecting setting out to be his own hero and continue to "look out for the little guy"

2 Avengers: Infinity War

After years of dealing with the visions, Tony first came face to face with Thanos with Infinty War serving as the first official interaction between the two. Since it was set 2-3 years after the events of Civil War, the Avengers were still divided which resulted in the battle for the stones occurring on two separate fronts. One of which was on the planet Titan which saw Tony along with Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and some of the guardians engaging in an epic battle against the mad titan. For the most part, the fight was pretty evenly matched until the end, with Tony even managing to make him bleed at one point before ultimately getting stabbed and the time stone having to be given up to spare his life.

1 Avengers: Endgame

While the film is one of the last in the Infinity Saga, it is also the last film to feature the character of Tony Stark alive. One of the opening scenes shows him aboard a ship with Nebula, drifting throughout space and still reeling after losing the fight against Thanos before being rescued from space by Captain Marvel. After the 5-year gap, it's revealed that he distanced himself from the team and built a life for him, Pepper, and their daughter, Morgan. That peaceful life is quickly upended when the team shows up and asks for his help with their time heist plan. The third act shows Tony sacrificing himself by using the stones to destroy Thanos and his army and the film ends with a beautiful tribute to the character and serves as a celebration of just how far the MCU has come since the first one.

NEXT: MCU: 5 Scenes That Made Us Love Iron Man (& 5 That Made Us Hate Him)

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