RDJ Celebrates Endgame Anniversary With Alternate Tony & Morgan Deleted Scene Cut

On its second anniversary, Robert Downey, Jr. releases an alternate cut of Tony and Morgan Stark's deleted Soulworld scene from Avengers: Endgame. MCU's inaugural hero ended his personal arc in the franchise through the 2019 Joe and Anthony Russo blockbuster, which also wrapped up the franchise's decade-long Infinity Saga narrative. To be able to defeat Thanos, Iron Man decided to sacrifice his life wielding the power of the six Infinity Stones which also spelled his death.

Tony's worst nightmare came to fruition when the Mad Titan successfully wiped out half of life in the universe with the snap of his fingers. But with the Avengers defeated, he was also able to channel his time to building a family life with Pepper Potts; in the five years after Avengers: Infinity War's tragic ending, they had a daughter in Morgan. When the idea of reversing the blip came, however, Iron Man couldn't resist the call of duty. He joined his fellow surviving heroes to bring back those who perished, but fully neutralizing the threat that Thanos brought demanded a personal sacrifice for the genius billionaire.

On the heels of the snap, the Russos wanted to draw a parallel between the Mad Titan and Tony's experience by also giving the latter a Soulworld experience where he met grown-up Morgan. The scene, however, was ultimately cut from Endgame because it didn't have the emotional impact that the filmmakers thought it would have. It was eventually released on Disney+, but now Downey shares an alternate cut of the scene through a behind-the-scenes video. While the idea remained the same, Iron Man's reaction following his arrival in the orange-tinged dimension was subtly different from the final version. Watch it below:

Cannot believe it’s been two years since Endgame...#LoveYouAll3000 pic.twitter.com/jeHtQ6cexQ

Taking the bit out meant cutting Katherine Langford's involvement from the film. The actress was cast as an older version of Morgan; initially played by Lexi Rabe, the five-year-old version of the character who had interactions with Tony. Considering how much was happening during the final battle scene of Endgame, the Russos explained that test viewers didn't immediately realize who Langford was. Other than that, the deleted scene just felt odd overall. Writing for the movie was generally tight, with great lines from a lot of the heroes, but it's interesting that the conversation between Tony and his older daughter sounded jilted and without flow. Even Downey, who's usually great at delivering dialog couldn't make it work.

Avengers: Endgame's anniversary also means that it's been two years since the franchise has moved on without Tony Stark in it. While the resolution to the character's arc in the MCU made total sense given his personal journey, some are still pushing for its reversal, asking Marvel Studios to bring him back despite his death. At this point, there's almost no chance of that happening as the franchise is re-establishing itself past Infinity Saga. But even if the character is no longer physically present in the universe, Iron Man's legacy continues to shape its future.