Avengers: Endgame came out almost six months ago, but its ramifications are still being felt across the pop culture landscape. And now Americans can’t be the only ones to blame for taking this all a little too seriously. An Iron Man statue has been erected in Italy that pays tribute to Tony Stark’s ultimate sacrifice at the end of this blockbuster sequel. And it’s truly something to behold and geek out over.
This statue honoring the memory of Iron Man went up in the town of & Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany, Italy. It is titled ‘Man of Steel’, which is usually a moniker reserved for DC Comics’ Superman. But Tony Stark deserves that distinction as well. The Statue was sculpted by Daniele Basso for the ‘Oltre Verso’ art exhibit that debuted on August 9. There is a plaque that accompanies this jaw-dropping work. It reads as follows.
“The first monument dedicated to Iron Man in the year of his death in the cinematic world, we celebrate Tony Stark as a man who dedicates his life’s fortunes to fight for the ideals he believes in … reminding us that we are all the protagonists of our time – that the future of humanity depends on our decisions … that all of us must be heroes!”
Iron Man successfully kicked off the MCU as we know it way back in 2008 with his first solo movie. That was followed by two more sequels, and Tony Stark has shown up in all four Avengers movies, as well as Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He has been the face of Marvel Studios for the past eleven years, and Robert Downey Jr. was just given a Disney Legends award last month at the big D23 Expo.
Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame didn’t surprise many, though that didn’t make it any less heart-wrenching. Iron Man takes it upon himself to save the universe with one final snap of the Infinity Gauntlet, which ultimately led to his demise, though it did end Thanos’ reign once and for all. Tony’s death is one that will be remembered for years to come, and was even a huge part of the storyline in Spider-Man: Far From Home, which returned to theaters this weekend with 4 minutes of never-before-seen footage in an Extended Cut.
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There’s no mystery as to why Tony Stark would be immortalized in a statue as we see here. It is only fitting of a character like this, who has had such a huge impact on popular culture. We may never see Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man in another movie, but his legacy will surely live on for many Marvel Phases yet to come. You can check out the statue first alerted by Reddit.
Forte dei Mare, Italy, Dedicates Memorial to Iron Man https://t.co/imr3rED1vcpic.twitter.com/yJ8UJqU3br
— Krypton Radio (@kryptonradio) August 31, 2019
The first monument dedicated to #IronMan has been erected in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, in the year of his death in the cinematic world. The steel and brass statue entitled #ManofSteel was designed by sculptor #DanieleBasso.#MiaMarketpic.twitter.com/0lAejTuCTI
— MIA Market (@MIAmarket_Rome) September 2, 2019
