WandaVision Makes Tony Stark's MCU Past Darker Than Iron Man
WandaVision touched on Tony Stark's time as a harbinger of death before he became Iron Man, something that most of his appearances in the MCU completely overlooked. By Spider-Man: Far From Home, Tony Stark is lauded around the world as a martyr due to his sacrifice in the fight against Thanos. The whole world knows that he not only defeated the Mad Titan and his army but also played a crucial role in bringing back all the life Thanos decimated alongside the Avengers. Before that, however, Tony Stark was known as a warmonger who used to fund wars and supply terrorists with weapons.
The tragic story of Pietro and Wanda Maximoff started when they were children. The Maximoff twins lived through extreme conflict and civil unrest in Sokovia, where they witnessed the death of their parents as a direct consequence of the war. Eager for justice, the twins joined protests and became the only survivors of HYDRA's experimentation with the Mind Stone. When they felt betrayed by Ultron, who recruited them to help him destroy Earth, they sided with Tony Stark and the Avengers, only to meet even more misfortune when Pietro died and Wanda met a long string of tragedies, such as being labeled as a terrorist and witnessing her partner, Vision, die brutally.
WandaVision: Who Plays Young Wanda & Pietro (& Their Parents)
The fact that the missile that killed Iryna and Olek Maximoff had "Stark Industries" written on it was revealed as soon as Pietro and Wanda first talked with Ultron back in Avengers: Age of Ultron. But it's only until WandaVision episode 8 explored Wanda's past that the fateful moment is actually depicted on screen, courtesy of Agatha Harkness' trip through Wanda's traumatic memories. Agatha suggests that the reason why the missile didn't go off is that Wanda's innate magical abilities, called "Chaos Magic," allowed her to cast a probability hex on it. This specific memory serves Wanda's characterization as a victim of the circumstances, as she only wanted a peaceful life with her family. On the contrary, Tony Stark is accurately depicted as a nefarious elitist who ruined countless lives while he only got richer.
The first Iron Man movie did establish Howard Stark's only son as a privileged weapon manufacturer who profited off the pain of others. Tony Stark's wealth and resources went toward projects like the "Jericho" missile, which had the potential to level whole cities while he enjoyed chilled martinis. After Stark's life took a 180-degree turn when he was injured by shrapnel from his own missile in Afghanistan, he went on a journey to become the world's greatest superhero. Yet, the MCU never gave any focus to all the innocent lives that were lost or became permanently damaged due to the armored Avenger. Tony's apparent lack of guilt over his dark past also speaks volumes about his mindset, as he only appeared to suffer over other failures like Ultron and the casualties of his battles against supervillains.
WandaVision made it clear how Iron Man and Scarlet Witch basically had the same superhero origin story (a Stark Industries missile) for the exact same reason (Tony's greed) but with totally different outcomes, as Tony triumphs as Iron Man, while Wanda's current arc in the MCU is one of almost constant suffering. It took more than a decade, but the MCU finally showed an alternate perspective on its main star, with WandaVision providing a front-row view into why so many in the universe regard Stark as someone who had done great damage to the world, instead of solely seeing him as a hero.