From what we’ve seen so far in the Avengers: Endgame trailers, Tony Stark is adrift in space and forging tools in an effort to return to Earth. It doesn’t look good for him! However, a new Funko Pop toy suggests that Iron Man takes a much more active role in saving the universe (after Thanos’ dusting) rather than languishing in his ship and moping about missing Pepper Potts.
That brings me to an important note. Marvel Studios’ concern about spoilers is so great that its Avengers: Endgame trailers won’t reveal more than the first 20 minutes of the film. That shroud of secrecy has been reinforced by the Russo brothers’ recent warning that 99% of collectible toy leaks may be inaccurate, but it’s not unwise to take that statement with a grain of salt. After all, the Russos told UPROXX that the Endgame title was never spoken in Infinity War, although Dr. Strange notably stated, “We’re in the endgame now.”
So it could be argued that we shouldn’t discount all hints/leaks provided by collectible toys, and when it comes to Marvel, one recent instance has led to predictive success. That would be the Jude Law Funko Pop figure that revealed how his hush-hush role was not Walter Larson/Mar-Vell (the first Captain Marvel from the comic books) as previously indicated but, instead, villainous Starforce Commander Yon-Rogg. Well, two days ago (and three months after the Funko Pop figure surfaced), Marvel finally confirmed that Law is definitely playing Yon-Rogg — a revelation that carries significant implications about the Captain Marvel plot. There might be something similar happening regarding hints from this Tony Stark Funko Pop figure, as highlighted by a Reddit user:
Fancy new suit, right? That’s not all. Iron Man is conspicuously wearing a wristwatch-looking device. Reddit’s now awash with speculation that this is a quantum device — one that’s linked to time travel, a power that could be used to defeat Thanos. Per the first Endgame trailer, this ability might also be newly available to Ant-Man and (thanks to Sam Jackson’s loose lips) is definitely on the table for Captain Marvel, who may have been digitally erased from Marvel’s Endgame Super Bowl spot.
Comic Book, which is also very interested in this Funko Pop figure, notes that multiple other Marvel heroes (Ant-Man, Black Widow, and Captain America) have been spotted wearing a similar “watch” in promotional and set photos. So the device is not “new,” as far as fan speculation goes, but now that Funko Pop has busted one out, the emphasis feels pronounced. What could these devices do — provide access to the Quantum Realm, where the “dead” half of the universe might now reside? Or can they hold an Infinity Stone, perhaps? The possibilities are truly endless, and Marvel definitely hasn’t thrown Fitbits on their superheroes for fun. These watches mean something, or Marvel’s simply messing with us, which is also totally possible.
We’ll find out when Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26.