As the first superhero to usher in Marvel Studios' shared cinematic universe, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark has lived through significant traumatic experiences throughout his superhero career. Now, a licensed therapist and filmmaker examine why the events of Marvel Studios' The Avengers had a particular impact on Stark's mental health, as seen in Iron Man 3.
The first Avengers film assembled heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe on a mission to thwart Loki's plans for world domination. The blockbuster film culminated in a climactic showdown in New York City between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Chitauri army, now under the command of Loki on the authority of Thanos. Faced with the possibility of being conquered by Loki's army, the U.S. government opted to launch a nuclear missile at the city against our heroes' wishes, prompting Tony Stark to intercept the weapon and launch it into the portal from which the Chitauri emerged, destroying the invaders' mothership.
While the Chitauri army was disabled and Loki was eventually taken to Asgard to answer for his crimes, Stark had seen a glimpse of the dangers that were waiting for Earth out in the depths of space, and the potential threat was difficult for him to shake off. In director Shane Black's Iron Man 3, audiences witness just how much Tony Stark has been impacted by the events of The Avengers, watching as he struggles with PTSD and experiences panic attacks when reminded of his brush with death. As therapist Jonathan Decker noted in the latest episode of Cinema Therapy, many fans questioned why the Battle of New York had a particularly strong effect on Tony Stark's mental health when he had already encountered numerous dangers as Iron Man beforehand. According to filmmaker Alan Seawright, the key difference is that, unlike his past experiences, the events in New York had Stark accepting that he was going to die. "There's no way out. I can't think my way out of this, this suit is dead, I'm in space, the wormhole's closing, and I'm gonna get hit with a nuclear blast," Seawright said of Tony Stark's mindset at the time, "I'm dead, there's nothing I can do, and that's never, ever happened before. He's always had some kind of suit or something that he can pull. He's had some kind of trick he can play, he can talk his way out of something, he can make a joke. There's nothing to do here."
Decker elaborated by adding that PTSD occurs when an individual thinks their world is safe and they realize that it is not, noting that Tony Stark always knew the world wasn't safe but assumed he was smart enough that he, personally, would never be in danger. Now, with the arrival of extraterrestrial enemies and allies like Chris Hemsworth's Thor, who is a literal god, Tony Stark realizes that there are entities out there too powerful for him to handle, and this information shatters his notion of being able to protect himself and others. Decker and Seawright also commend Iron Man 3 for doing a "damn good job" of displaying the symptoms of PTSD, highlighting a scene from the film in which Tony Stark tries to avoid reminders of the Battle of New York despite Ty Simpkins' Harley Keene, a child sidekick he meets in the film, constantly bringing up the topic.
Decker and Seawright noted that not everything about Iron Man 3's depiction of Tony Stark's PTSD stands up to scrutiny, especially a scene in which he immediately comes out of a panic attack after being inspired by Harley Keene. Though Decker acknowledged that there has probably been an instance of someone coming out of a panic attack right after being reminded of something or told "just the right thing," it is not common and Stark seemingly overcoming his PTSD in time for Iron Man 3's third act is not an accurate depiction of how difficult trauma recovery would be.
The 27-minute video also examines Tony Stark's narcissism, problem-solving, and relationships, and how Iron Man 3 sets up his mentor-pupil relationship with Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Whats's frequently mentioned throughout the examination of Tony Stark is the strength of Downey Jr.'s performance, reminding viewers why he will likely always be the definitive Iron Man.
Iron Man 3 is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Cinema Therapy