30 Most Epic Iron Man (Tony Stark) Quotes
We all know that Marvel’s Iron Man helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and that it was thanks to him that we finally got to see a large cinematic comic book universe. Now, Iron Man’s one of Marvel’s most popular characters.
This article is going to include a list of the 30 best and most memorable quotes by Iron Man, ordered by the material they appeared in, as you will see in the sections below. We have found some great lines from the movies, as well as the TV shows so we hope you’ll enjoy them!
Tony Stark quotes from Iron Man
“I am Iron Man.”
Is there really a better start to this list than Tony’s last words from the first Iron Man movie? Probably not, as they convey the full essence of the character and his loveable personality. This is who Tony Stark truly is.
“I don’t wanna see this on a Myspace page. Please, no gang signs. No, throw it up; I’m kidding. Yeah, peace. I love peace. I’d be out of a job with peace.”
Another aspect that we got to see heavily featured in the first Iron Man movie was Tony Stark’s charismatic humor, which made us laugh all the way and actually laid the foundations for the MCU’s humor for many movies to come.
“Admit it– This isn’t the worst thing you’ve caught me doing. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them, and I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability.”
Tony Stark’s relationship with Pepper Potts was something special, and the most beautiful thing about it is that it constantly evolved. In the first movie, it was more of a caretaker relationship than anything else, as you can see.
“Is it better to be feared or respected? And I say, is it too much to ask for both? With that in mind I humbly present the crown jewel of Stark Industries’ Freedom Line. It’s the first missile system to incorporate our proprietary repulsor technology. They… say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree! I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once! That’s how dad did it! That’s how America does it! And it’s worked out pretty well so far. Find an excuse to let one of these off the chains and I personally guarantee you, the bad guys won’t even wanna come out of their caves. For your consideration: the Jericho.”
Tony Stark was a genius inventor and what he worked on initially, before becoming Iron Man, was peace through war. We have to have the best weapons so we can be at peace. Oh, how this changed over the years!
“I never got to say goodbye to dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father. There’s questions that I would’ve asked him. I would’ve asked him how he felt about what this company did, if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we remember from the newsreels.”
Daddy issues are a recurring thing in Marvel’s movies, but they seem to hit male characters more than female ones. Tony Stark’s just another character on the list who constantly yearned for his father’s approval. Even though his father was dead.
“I shouldn’t be alive, unless it was for a reason. I’m not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do; and I know in my heart, that it’s right.”
Tony Stark began to change in the first movie, which was a very interesting piece of character development, seeing how omnipresent he was in the MCU’s future. This line illustrates that change.
Tony Stark quotes from Iron Man 2
“Oh, it is good to be back!”
And it really was good to see Tony Stark back on the screen. The movie wasn’t all that good, really, but seeing Robert Downey Jr. doing his magic was truly great.
“I told you, I don’t want to join your super-secret boy band.”
Nick Fury wanted to recruit Iron Man for the so-called Avengers Initiative. Tony Stark, seeing how he was very arrogant and a loner, refused, even mocking the whole idea. This one hasn’t aged well, huh?
“Well, what’s the use of having and owning a race car… if you don’t drive it?”
Another illustration of Tony’s personality and his overall hedonism. Sure, the guy had everything and anything, but he also liked to enjoy everything and anything. This arrogance became less prominent later on but here – it was still present!
“Mr. Stark displays textbook… narcissism… agreed.”
This one is really self-explanatory, right? Tony reads this. Tony agrees. And he is completely right about it, but since it’s a quote about him personally, how could he not?
“Well, you can forget it. I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution, depending on what state you’re in. You can’t have it.”
Of course people wanted the Iron Man suit. Wouldn’t you? But whereas Tony’s arrogance did play a role in his refusal to share, he also had quite valid reasons for it, which turned out to be correct.
“I thought I was ogling her?”
This was a pun on the verb “to google” and is a reference to Tony’s meeting with Natasha; at this point, he had absolutely no idea she was Black Widow and that they would soon end up saving the world together. Multiple times.
Tony Stark quotes from Iron Man 3
“A famous man once said, ‘we create our own demons’. Who said that? What does it even mean? It doesn’t matter; I said it because he said it, so now he was famous and then basically getting said by two well-known guys. I don’t, uh… argh. I’m gonna start again. Let’s track this from the beginning.”
Tony Stark was never much about philosophy and the likes, he really wasn’t, and this quote illustrates that perfectly. He was a practical man who viewed life as a practical phenomenon and that’s how he lived it.
“Here’s a little Holiday greeting I’ve been wanting to send to the Mandarin. I just didn’t know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark and I’m not afraid of you. I know you’re a coward so I’ve decided that you just died, pal. I’m going to come and get the body. There’s no politics here it’s just good old fashioned revenge. There’s no Pentagon; it’s just you and me. And on the off-chance you’re a man, here’s my home address: 10-8-80 Malibu Point, 90265. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
Probably the most famous quote from Iron Man 3 and completely in line with Stark’s character. Just as he admitted to the whole world that he was Iron Man, he invited the bad guys to his home. The only problem is that they took it literally.
“So if I were to wrap this up tight with a bow or whatever, I guess I’d say my armor was never a distraction or a hobby. It was a cocoon. And now, I’m a changed man. You can take away my house, all my tricks and toys. One thing you can’t take away… I am Iron Man.”
Another piece of Iron Man’s character development, this line shows just how much he changed over the years and how much he bonded with the Iron Man persona. And this was true… at one point, he stopped being a man in a fancy suit and became a true hero.
“J.A.R.V.I.S., do me a favor and blow Mark 42.”
Tony’s conversations with J.A.R.V.I.S. always offered some humor, as well as an insight into Tony’s mind. This is a truly interesting request that shows what kind of state he was in at the time.
“J.A.R.V.I.S., subject at my 12 o’clock is not a target, disengage!”
Now, this one was actually a funny one as the “subject” in question was none other than Pepper Potts. This illustrated the dynamic that existed between the two and showed us how it evolved from the first movie.
“And I guess 72 hours is a long time between siestas. Didn’t think it could get any worse, then I had to go and turn on the TV. That’s when he happened.”
We’re closing off the Iron Man trilogy with another humorous line, that once again illustrates Tony’s perception of the world and everything around him. Even when serious, Tony Stark thought of siestas, and why shouldn’t he, really?
Tony Stark quotes from the Avengers
“It’s good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of how you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”
Tony was never a team player but somehow, after being coerced into joining the group, he managed to find his way around the Avengers. His meeting with Bruce Banner was another classic Tony that made us laugh.
“That man is playing Galaga! He thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did.”
Galaga is actually a very old arcade shooter game that became one of the best games of its generation and the accidental subject of a funny scene that once again illustrates how much of a genius Tony Stark was.
“How quickly can we buy this building?”
Time was a necessity for Tony Stark and since he was a practical man, he wanted to know how and when things could be done. Also, since he had a lot of money at his disposal, he could arrange for things to be built, like here.
“Avengers, time to work for a living.”
Although he was one of the most skeptical members of the group, Tony Stark actually became one of the most devoted Avengers, which was ultimately demonstrated by his Endgame sacrifice. At one point, he understood his position and their role, so he did what had to be done.
“Dude, you’re embarrassing me in front of the wizards.”
Banner was going through a crisis of sorts and Iron Man met Doctor Strange and Wong. While fighting, Banner completely failed, which prompted Stark to say this famous line.
“Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn’t always roll that way. Maybe this time. I’m hoping if you play this back, it’s in celebration. I hope families are reunited. I hope we get it back, in somewhat like a normal version of the planet has been restored, if there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe now. If you told me 10 years ago that we weren’t alone, let alone you know to this extent.. I mean, I wouldn’t have been surprised. But come on, you know. The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And for better or for worse, that’s the reality Morgan’s going to find a way to grow up in. So I thought I’d probably better record a little greeting, in the case of an untimely death on my part. I mean, not that death at any time is timely. This time travel thing we’re going to try and pull off tomorrow, it’s going to scratch my head about the survivability of it all. Then again, that’s the hero gig, part of the journey is the end. What am I even tripping for? Everything is going to work out exactly the way it’s suppose to. I love you three thousand.”
And this one… well… just sit back, read it from top to bottom and enjoy the emotion. We don’t really have anything to add.
Tony Stark quotes from the comics
“There’s only two things I ever managed to believe in. Firstly, myself. And even then only about 50% of the time. Secondly, the future. That there would be one and we’d make it.”
The comic book iteration of Iron Man is somewhat different than the MCU version, although not by much. Still, it seems that the comic books added some more depth to the character, and removed some of the pragmatism. This line illustrates both his self-doubt (something we’ve rarely seen in the MCU) and his hope.
“The world needs the Avengers. The best of the best. The best and the brightest. Symbols. Icons. It’s a time of healing. It’s a time to tell people we’re looking out for them.”
Iron Man’s comic book history with the Avengers was a bit different than the MCU iteration and this line illustrates how much he cared about the group and its role in protecting Earth.
“Have you never seen an Iron Man before?!”
This was an attack on his ego, as he met someone who had not heard of him before. Him? Earth’s most famous superhero? What a travesty!
“What do I do now? Iron Man is helpless against an enemy with the ability to melt iron! And yet, without my other identity, I’m just an ordinary human… More vulnerable than most because my heart would stop without my chest plate! (…) What’s the matter with me? I’m still not helpless! I’ve still got the greatest weapon in the world… a human brain!”
Self-doubt was, as we’ve said, often present in the comic book version of the character and this quote is a great illustration of that, but also of his faith in the human mind.
“It has to be this way! The ranks of the Avengers will always need replenishing! The old must ever give way to the new!”
Tony Stark was aware of the fact that the Avengers can’t go on forever in the same, which is why he wad glad to see new members that would replace him and the others.
“Gentlemen, I am prepared to tell whatever you wish to know about Iron Man!”
This one is actually a good ending since we started with the “I am Iron Man” line, and these lines do tell a lot about the character.
***
Now, before we finish our article, we are going to answer some questions that have appeared in relation to the Tony Stark quotes