This Avengers Theory Makes Iron Man's Endgame Death Even Sadder

"Avengers: Endgame" is a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the three-phase phenomenon that is the Infinity Saga. It concludes with a climactic battle for the ages, which starts with the "portals" sequence where Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) brings together the forces of good in Upstate New York to resist Thanos' time-traveling armies.

One unexpected addition to the crew of assembled heroes is Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who arrives officially decked out in her Rescue armor for the first time on-screen. Discussing this moment, X (formerly Twitter) user @MrNiceGuy513 has made the intriguing observation that "Doctor Strange brought Pepper to the battle because he knew Tony was gonna die." This ties in with the fact that Strange saw all of the outcomes of the battle at the end of "Infinity War" and clearly knew Potts needed to play a role.

Throughout the oversized scuffle, we see Potts and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) team up and watch each other's backs as they fight through the carnage, unaware that Strange may have brought Potts there for a tragic reason. Sure, she helps protect the universe from Thanos (Josh Brolin) by bringing Stark-level firepower to help obliterate a menagerie of Chitauri, Outriders, and other outlandish alien canon fodder (aggression isn't her usual comic book schtick, anyway). But according to the brief theory, she may have also been there to rescue Stark in a way that only Potts could.

Remember, Pepper needed to help Tony accept that he could finally rest after his Infinity Gauntlet-powered heroics. Strange would have had the foresight to see the impending ending of the leading Avenger and chose to go the extra mile to coordinate Potts's participation, which was needed to ensure the ending was fitting for one of the mightiest superheroes of them all.

It's easy to see why fans might think this was Doctor Strange's motivation to bring Pepper Potts into the final battle in "Endgame." User mewlngasgardian echoed a similar sentiment to the original tweet, saying, "doctor strange probably brought pepper to the final battle because he knew it was going to be her last chance to see tony again."

On the one hand, having Pepper on the scene allowed her to have a final moment with her husband before he shuffled off this mortal coil. On the other hand, it also means Tony has Pepper there to talk him through his final moments. As he fades, he's able to hear her voice and experience the release that comes with her final words to him: "You can rest now."

It's a moving theory and a powerful play by the time-stone-powered Avenger, if that is indeed what he was doing. After a five-year hiatus of being snapped, it's interesting to think that, along with racing all over creation to bring every possible hero together on the battle plains north of the Big Apple, Strange needed to make this one husband-and-wife connection, too. Despite his busy agenda, he still found the time to add that finishing touch of bringing the spouses together one last time. Whether it was on purpose or not, it's a move that doubtless gave both Tony and Pepper the closure they needed in the end.