The Iron Man depicted in the MCU wasn’t entirely faithful to the comic book character of the same name, but the changes can be easily explained.

As is to be expected when adapting stories that span years into a series of movies, some of Iron Man‘s most significant story beats in the MCU veer significantly from his comic book origins – but these changes can be easily explained. When the Iron Man movies introduced Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark as the MCU’s first hero, he wasn’t nearly as famous as he has now become. Yet by expertly drawing inspiration from the most compelling stories in Iron Man’s comic book career, Marvel was able to turn Tony Stark into their most famous hero, whose tenure was rendered all the more poignant by his captivating journey over several movies.

Iron Man is a arrogant, yet is one of the most charismatic MCU characters whose career was defined by his struggles with his own mind and the mind-bending tech it gave rise to. In turning Tony Stark into a star, the MCU took several creative liberties, not least of which involved making him decidedly more likable and humorous than his comic book counterpart. Some of his most important storylines, however, were changed substantially in comparison to the comics – with these being the most significant.

5Iron Man’s Identity Was Secret In The Comics

Possibly for the sake of narrative expediency, Tony Stark wasted no time in revealing his identity as Iron Man in the MCU. The moment came to define his entire arc as the line “I am Iron Man” book-ended his tenure as the vainglorious leader of the Avengers and self-appointed protector of humanity. The original Tony Stark, however, was neither as quick nor as enthusiastic about revealing his identity as the man inside the suit of armor. In fact, the comic books didn’t have Stark reveal himself until 2002, after a career of pretending that Iron Man was his bodyguard.

The reasons for the change were not only character-defining, but also a moment that cemented his indelible swagger in four short words. Tony Stark’s movies would see him wrestle with the consequences of his audacity, as the likes of his business rival, Justin Hammer, co-opted and corrupted his tech, and Aldrich Killian would attempt to enact revenge on the man who spurned him. It also flew in the face of the popularly depicted concept of secret identities in superhero movies, setting Iron Man apart from the likes of Batman and Spider-Man instantly, marking the MCU as a compelling departure from the norm.

4Iron Man Has Assumed The Role Of Hank Pym

The MCU decided to change the source material significantly concerning the role of the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym. In the comics, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne are founding members of the Avengers alongside Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor. In the MCU, however, Hank had been operating as the genius scientist behind the Pym Particle and the Ant-Man suit for several years by the time Tony took on the mantle as the MCU’s most prominent scientific mind. This precluded Hank Pym from the majority of the Avengers’ antics. Most notably: the creation of Ultron.

Tony Stark’s part in the creation of Ultron was a pivotal moment insofar as it burdened him with guilt, as his technology was once again misappropriated as a force for destruction. It provided an easily understandable motivation for being in support of signing the Sokovia Accords. Originally, however, Ultron was Hank Pym’s self-modeled creation and a dark reflection of Pym’s deep-seated misanthropy and insecurities. Pym’s omission from the wider MCU story in favor of Scott Lang is because Scott is a far more relatable character who may not be as nuanced as his predecessor – but is a lot easier to like.

Tony Stark already filled the role of a complicated and tortured mind “burdened with knowledge,” leaving little room for Pym to fill a similar role in the cinematic universe. The way Stark wrestled with the guilt of Ultron’s genesis, however, was a deft reinvention of the storyline that solidified Tony Stark’s difficult relationship with his own tech and misguided attempts to protect Earth. Ant-Man, meanwhile, has taken on a backseat role as a more hapless and comedic addition to the team, if still as integral to their ultimate victory over Thanos.

3Iron Man’s Armor Was Less Varied

In both the comics and the MCU, Tony Stark is synonymous with his armor, which in turn reflects his dogged pursuit of improvement. In the MCU, this resulted in a long line of renovated models, starting with Mark I to his final Mark LXXXV. While his final suit of armor was the pinnacle of nanotech capable of making even Thanos bleed, it was still essentially a remake of the 84 armors that came before it. Iron Man’s suits of armor in the comics, meanwhile, were a lot more versatile.

In the comics, Iron Man has a specialized suit of armor for every eventuality. These include a suit designed to explore the deep cosmos, a suit designed for underwater missions, a suit for arctic climes, and a suit similar to the Hulkbuster designed to counter the power of an Asgardian (specifically, Thor). The various designs in his repertoire are part of Iron Man’s appeal, affording exciting “new looks” similar to the various suits Spidey has donned over the years.

In the MCU, Iron Man’s most up-to-date armor was instead more likely to have all these capabilities built-in. The Hulkbuster was the only armor overtly deployed on-screen that seemed to have a specific specialization in mind – with the clue being in its name. This was useful in streamlining the narrative arc of Tony Stark, affording the MCU the chance to focus on the deeper facets of “the suit” being a part of him without begging the question: “Which one?”

2His Family History Was Vastly Different

Tony Stark’s relationship with his father in the MCU is as important to his story as the repercussions of his tech. His fraught relationship with a father he believed didn’t love him, and who he strove to outdo in his own endeavors, was perfectly punctuated by his final poignant interaction with him in the Time Heist of Avengers: Endgame. A more comic-faithful depiction of his relationship with his father, however, would have made this relationship a lot more complicated, to put it mildly.

In the comics, not only was Tony Stark adopted by Howard and Maria, but he also had a brother. Arno Stark was the biological son of Howard and Maria, whose complicated birth was aided by an alien species before Howard’s intervention led to him requiring an iron lung to live. After being hidden away in the Maria Stark Foundation Hospice out of fear of repercussions, the parents adopted Tony Stark, whose biological father was a HYDRA double agent, and raised him as their “only child” before perishing in a crash when both brothers turned 21.

Suffice it to say, this is a much darker and considerably more complicated family history than what was depicted on-screen. The MCU was right to do away with this part of Tony’s history before his tenure came to an end, as it would have over-complicated his arc and necessitated an entirely different set of movies. While the existence of Arno Stark in the MCU is not out of the question, there is no tactful way that Marvel could now reveal that Tony was adopted after his death, especially after how his relationship with his father was wrapped up.

The Multiverse is another route through which the MCU could introduce Arno Stark, who once donned the Iron Man mantle in the comics.

1Iron Man’s Alcoholism Was Played Down In The Movies

One under-explored facet of Tony Stark’s personality in the movies was his battle with alcoholism. Iron Man 2 was the closest the MCU came to depicting the seminal “Demon in a Bottle” story in the comics, as he turned to alcohol as a way of coping with the fatal consequences of his palladium arc reactor. This brief yet apparent nod to Stark’s longstanding struggles with alcohol in the comics was swiftly brushed under the rug by the time Disney took ownership of Marvel, however, and replaced his substance-borne demons with trauma-based ones in Iron Man 3.

This was also a wise move from the studio. Alcoholism is an especially dark theme to burden the MCU’s flagship character with, even if it can be compelling when navigated tactfully. Instead, rooting Stark’s psychological struggles in the inevitable trauma caused by his involvement in the Battle of New York was a proficient way of keeping the narrative tight while still plumbing the depths of Iron Man‘s deepest insecurities. What resulted was no less emotional and kept the MCU below the PG-13 rating while still dealing with darker themes.