ScreenCrush: The Podcast! - The One Scene that Fixes Iron Man and Sets Up Dr. Doom

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

ScreenCrush The Podcast tackles all the movie and TV hot topics, offering reviews and analysis of Marvel, Star Wars, and everything you care about right now. Hosted by Ryan Arey, and featuring a panel of industry professionals.

I was re-watching Iron Man, and I noticed the scene in the movie that is so crucial it not only holds this movie together, but it also gives us stakes for multiple sequels, and even sets up Doctor Doom. Operation, you just don't let it touch the socket wall where it goes beep. What do you mean operations? It's just a game, never mind. Without this scene, Iron Man would have become Batman, and that is a terrible thing. Welcome back Screen Crush, I'm Ryan Erie, and let's talk about how 198 seconds gave us

the Iron Man that we know and love. Now, look, on the surface, this is a really simple scene. it's mostly practical effects, just two world-class actors improvising and having fun. But let's really break this scene down. And then I'll talk about why it actually works on three different levels. One, it is absolutely crucial to making this movie's story work. Two, it sets up Tony Stark's arc for the rest of the MCU. And three, it's going to set up his heel turn to become Dr. Doom and Avengers Doomsday. Now, I've always thought that Tony Stark works as a character because he embodies wish fulfillment for the audience. At the start of this movie,

he's famous, he's rich, he hooks up with models. In his first scene, we're misled into thinking that this guy has a perfect life. But the movie's secret is that Tony Stark is not happy. Even after he becomes Iron Man, he's not happy. Tony is still suffering from the trauma of losing his parents. After their deaths, he lived a lavish life, but he refused to let anyone get too close to him emotionally. The reason is he can't trust anyone because he doesn't want to get hurt again. Now, we do see his trust issues in every movie, you know, because he doesn't want anybody to have his tech. But on an emotional, emotional level, these trust issues make him just not play well with others.

Jensen is probably the first new friend Tony has made in years, and his dying words are what set Tony on his hero's journey. Don't waste. Don't waste your life. Now, after Tony's experience in the cave, he's not fully transformed. He doesn't come out of that cave and suddenly he's a good guy and he's Iron Man. But this is when he makes the decision to try to change. His connection to Jensen shows him that he needs other people in his life. You see, ever since Tony was orphaned, he never tried to process his grief. Instead, he focused on solving mechanical problems, kind of like Anakin. He's good at fixing things, but he can't fix his own heart. Instead, Tony pushes people away, and this takes us to the crucial scene.

Now remember, I'm going to talk about how this scene serves the movie, then every MCU movie, and finally how it establishes how Tony could become Dr. Doon. So at this point in the film, we have seen the playboy Tony Stark. He's been kidnapped, and he's created his Mark I armor. Before escaping the cave, Jensen tells him don't waste this, and Tony promptly decides to reinvent his life. He holds a press conference that shakes up the financial world. Effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturer division of Starkman. And then Pepper, who at this point is only his assistant, is watching Jim Kramer diss Stark Industries.

Stark Industries. I've got one recommendation. Ready? Ready? Abandon ship! Now look, this is a very real, serious moment. His entire fortune is now under threat. Tony should be in a boardroom somewhere strategizing, but instead, he breaks into the video and says, How big your hands? Now, Tony's basement is his fortress of solitude. He only ever lets two people into this space, Rodey and Pepper. And as she enters his space, the score goes very soft and light. Let's see him. Show me hands.

Let's see him. And this underlies that Tony is literally exposed here. He's shirtless and on a medical chair like he's in a doctor's office. This is the first time he has allowed. anyone else to see him so vulnerable with his arc reactor exposed. Now up to now, Tony has seen his relationship with Pepper as purely transactional. And even here, he just needs something from her. But notice that when he says this line, he sounds just a little bit scared with this tiny quaver that Robert Downey Jr. puts into his voice. Just to need your help for a sec.

And she asks, God, is that the thing that's keeping you alive? It was. Because remember, no one has been allowed to see him this vulnerable. Tony is a loner. He doesn't have a huge R&D. where he supervises a team of scientists, he is a man cave. Ever since his parents died, he has pushed everyone away in his life, and he's done everything for himself. But this is one technical problem he physically cannot do alone.

Finally, there is something that he cannot fix just because his hands are too big. Now, I need to point out that, like the rest of this movie, a great deal of this scene is improvised. John Favro, pulling from his indie film roots, encouraged a lot of improvisation on set. And in this scene, the chemistry between Downey and Paltrow is literally electric.

It should be fun. It's like operation. You just don't let it touch the socket wall where it goes beep. What do you mean operation? It's just a game, never mind. So if you look at the script, it does not mention the game of operation at all. And you can tell with Robert Downey Jr's naturalistic delivery

that the two of them came up with this on the spot. And here's another key aspect of this scene. This is a practical effect. They had Robert Downey Jr. go behind a fake chest with a hole in the middle. The only CGI was just to smooth out the edges and blend his fake chest and with his shoulders. Now, this is an old Voddville magician,

trick and here it just creates movie magic. Now because Gwyneth Poutreau is looking at something tactile and kind of weird, she's really able to sell the disgust on her face. Oh, oh, there's pus. It's not pus, it's an, you know, plasma discharge, it's from the device, not from my body. It smells. Yeah, it does. And then Tony feels a shock. Again, this is not in the script. This is just a reference to the game operation, which he improvised earlier. This is also the literal first spark of their romantic relationship. And because it's Tony Stark, emotions are a little painful. Pepper accidentally pulls out the magnet, which sends Tony into cardiac arrest. Again, none of this was in the shooting script, but it adds a ticking clock to the scene. There is now a sense of urgency

and we want to know. Can Pepper overcome her disgust of the skunk in his chest long enough to save his life? Now I should also note that in the script, Dummy just replaces the arc reactor, but here Pepper has to do it. Now, that's a big change that might have been made on set because it shows that she is the person who can help Tony, and he cannot rely on his machines. Don't ever, ever, ever, ever ask me to do anything like that ever again. And then Tony says one heartbreaking, very true thing. I don't have anyone but you. And this goes back to something I read in John Truby's Anatomy of Story. He said that every story centers around the lie, the character believes. The lie that Tony believed is that he didn't need anyone. And yet, he surrounded himself with people. He never had to be alone. He bragged about

having sex with models. He's given so many awards and he doesn't even care about them. Like I said, this film succeeds in large part because of wish fulfillment. The fanboys watching the movie would have loved to have been like Tony Stark. But everything he has is a kind of monkey's paw wish because his wealth is actually ruining his life. He is one of the most famous people on the planet, but that wealth just makes him feel more alone because nobody knows the real him. He is surrounded by people, and connecting to no one. And his admission to Pepper that he has no one else creates a moment as that same sweet score steps in between them.

Now, she asks him if he wants to keep the old reactor, and he responds, Destroy it. Incinerate it. And think about this. Tony's parents died when he was a kid. He found that it was easier to not be sentimental and to not hang on to the past. That's why he's always trying to invent the next machine

to solve the next problem. And it's why he prefers random hookups to letting someone into his heart. emotionally. Now Pepper obviously doesn't listen to Tony after his first successful mission is Iron Man. He comes home and finds that she has gifted him the arc reactor with the inscription, proof Tony Stark has a heart. Now this is the cap to that earlier scene. This is Tony realizing that Pepper actually sees him and truly cares about him. And just like we see in this scene, Tony can control everything in his life. He can fly wherever he wants, build whatever he wants, date whoever he wants, but he has no control over his actual heart. He has to literally let Pepper

into his heart in order to have a life worth living. Everyone in Tony's life either works for him, like happy, or he controls them, like Rody. He controls Rody? Yeah, I mean, remember how fast he was able to manipulate him and to partying with him on the jet? Yes, too, please. No, just, I'm not drinking. I don't want any. That's what I'm talking about. Now, Pepper does work for Tony, but he needs her. She is his only gateway to the outside world, and without her, he would not even be able to run his life. Even though she's his assistant, she's still the only person that stands up to him. I actually don't think that you could tie your shoes without me. And look, on a more basic level, these two actors have great chemistry.

It's a really fun will-they, won't they? But mostly this scene just humanizes Tony Stark. It turns him from a cold, distant playboy into a guy that we could see sacrificing himself for the good of the universe. So those are all of the emotional reasons we need this scene. It makes Tony into a person and not someone on the Epstein list. But let's talk about why this scene is crucial for the plot. of the movie. This is where we establish that the arc reactor is removable. So it sets up the terrifying scene where Obadiah is able to literally rip the heart out of Tony's chest.

This is your knife for me. So this means that Tony has to use his old arc reactor in the final fight, which means that he's going to lose power more quickly because that reactor is faulty. With only 15% power, the odds of reaching that old. I know the math, do it! So this sets up a ticking clock in the final battle and places him at a disadvantage against Obadiah. I think if it weren't for this scene, then Obadiah Daya probably just would have miniaturized the arc reactor and Tony would have fought him at full power. And then the final fight would just be two CGI dudes bashing at each other with very little stakes, and next thing you know you're watching Michael Bay's Transformers.

But that scene between Tony and Pepper creates this emotional connection between them. So there's a scene, soon after this one, where Tony is waiting for his new armor to buffer, so he goes to a stark gala. He dances with Pepper and they almost kiss. I would like a drink. Without this earlier scene, this makes Pepper look kind of pathetic, like she's got a crush on her boss. And Tony would seem like he doesn't care about her and he just wants to go back to hooking up with models. But now, because of the Operation Chess scene, we know he does care about her. He's just afraid of intimacy. If you take that operation scene out of the film, then Tony

never has an actual human connection with anyone in the movie except for Jensen. His feelings for are what give the final act its emotional tension. Without that surgery scene, she's just a damsel in distress. But most importantly, I think this scene establishes what Tony Stark is going to be fighting four in the rest of his arc in the MCU. Tony begins his journey in this franchise as a depressed loner who only cares about himself. Even after he builds the Mark I suit, his primary concern is his company and his legacy. He doesn't like that his weapons are being used to kill Americans. And later, he springs into action as Iron Man because he wants to make sure that terrorists can't use his technology. He's still motivated by his own ego. Becoming Iron Man is not a personality

change for Tony. It's just one more obsession. Another problem for Tony to solve. Tony Stark does not change as a character in this film. He starts off making weapons for others, and he ends the movie making a single weapon for his own pleasure. He's still an obsessive loner who is haunted by the dead people he cares about. He's the kind of unsentimental bastard who doesn't want to keep the machine that has been saving his life. If you remove pepper from the movie, it just becomes about a billionaire who goes out and cracks heads to deal with his own personal trauma. That's not Tony Stark, that's Batman. See, Batman as a character is set in stone. His character will never change. But Tony Stark,

entire story is about change. From the moment we first see him till his final scene and endgame, he has a character arc through all of these movies. So let's look at Tony Starks' entire arc and why Pepper makes him a redeemable character. In Iron Man 2, he's already won. He is the best at being Iron Man. I have successfully privatized world peace. And yet, he's died. He starts to give away his stuff, gives the suit to Rodee, gives his company to Pepper. It's you. It's always been you. And this is the start of an important pattern. Tony lives his life obsessed with control except when it comes to Pepper. He trusts Pepper and he's willing to give her control of his birthright.

And yet, he starts to push her away emotionally. He flirts with his new assistant. He gets hammered at a party. But when he does try to make amends, it's so he can earn back her love and respect. And I thought I was coming to basically apologize, but I'm not. Oh, you didn't come here to apologize? Now this all leads to the end of the movie when she tries to quit. I quit. I'm resigning. That's it.

And Tony finally acknowledges that she does deserve better. You deserve better. And this, of course, leads to the kiss. This is actually Tony's entire character arc in this movie, to go from being an emotionally distant superhero to a man who admits that he needs this woman in his life. And in The Avengers, Tony is still a distant control freak who has to learn to work well with others. But then, he comes across a situation that he cannot control. He goes into space and he faces death.

More importantly, he sees a way that Pepper and everyone also on earth could be killed. Now, he's already lost people he cares about, his parents, and he does not want to feel that pain again. And so, because he is afraid of losing the woman he loves, he is extremely motivated to once again try to control everything in his life. In Iron Man 3, they're finally in a relationship, but his PTSD keeps him emotionally distant. Now, the idea of her being hurt is driving him to a mental breakdown. Threat is imminent, and I have to protect the one thing that I can't live Even the armor he built to protect her is putting her at risk. And he ends the movie trying to quit the superhero life,

relinquishing control so he can live a happy life with her. This is why he quits being Iron Man so he can be with Pepper. But of course, that doesn't work out. There's always one more job, one more problem to solve. And in Age of Ultron, we learned that Tony has been trying to create a planetary defense system. And remember why he started being Iron Man? Because he cannot imagine having to relive his trauma. and once again losing the people he loves.

So, again, because he cares about Pepper, he indulges his worst impulses and recklessly creates Ultron. And this finally leads to Pepper and Tony taking a break in Captain America's Civil War. And this, I think, is the most important movie in Tony's character development, like since the first Iron Man. Without Pepper, Tony is morally aimless. Without her as a guiding light,

he throws up his hands and cedes control to the government. We need to be put in check. Hell, maybe he signed the Sikovia Accords as a way to show her that he could actually surrender elements of control in his life and step away from being a superhero. And without a love in his life, the trauma of his parents' deaths hits even harder. The nerve is already exposed when he attacks Bucky and Steve. He killed my mom. But Pepper and Tony are reunited before Spider-Man Homecoming. So Tony does now have

some emotional balance in his own life while he's being a father figure to Peter Parker. And the idea of Peter dying terrifies Tony. That's why he puts the training wheels protocol on his suit. There's a ton of other subsystems in here. Hmm? But they're all disabled by the training wheels protocol. Then Peter almost gets people killed on the Staten Island ferry. What if somebody had died tonight? Different story, right?

Because that's on you. And if you died, I feel like that's on me. And I think the reason Tony gets so mad at Peter is because he's actually mad at himself. I just want him to be like you. And I wanted you to be better. How did he let this kid get into such a dangerous situation? He's thinking, if I can't protect this kid, how can I protect the woman I love? How can I protect my own child in the future? And then, in Infinity

War, we see that Tony can't even go for a nice jog in the park without strapping a murder weapon to his chest, and Pepper is not happy about it. Just in case there's a monster from the closet instead of, you know. And now we understand. Iron Man is Tony's addiction. Tony cannot stop being Iron Man because he cannot bear the thought that Pepper could ever be in danger. She is his driving motivation to keep putting the armor back on. And in Avengers endgame, Tony begins the movie by opening up and telling Pepper, which is what he said to her when he gave her the company. It's you. It's always been you. His near-death experience makes Tony finally realize what's actually important. He surrenders the need to control. He actually just faced his worth fear, the invasion from space, but he still got to keep Pepper. So for

him, that's a good deal. If Pepper had been snapped, the story in the movie would have been completely different. So Tony retreats and finally rebuilds what he looks at. lost years ago, a family. Keep what I found have to at all cost. And then, of course, at the end of the movie, he finally does lay down in the wire and make the sacrifice play. But who's there to tell him that he can let go? He can rest him.

Pepper is telling him, you don't have to protect me anymore. And this is because Tony's entire arc was actually to earn her love and make her safe. So now let's talk about how this all leads into Dr. Doom. So there's a great scene in the show The Wire, where one of the cops, McNulty, is going on and on about how great he is at his job. We're good at this, Lester. And this time we're as good as it gets.

All of this, by the way, while he's divorced and his personal life is in shambles. So then another cop, Lester, replies with, The job will not save you, Jimmy. It won't make you whole. It won't fill your ass up. How does that apply to Turner Stark? Because Tony could be the absolute

best at being Iron Man. He could be the best in the world, but without a home life, without Pepper, it's all for nothing. See, Pepper gave Tony's life purpose. So, what kind of man would he be without her? What kind of monster could he become? He still would have become a superhero, but he would not have stopped there. See, Pepper gave him moral guidance. She was the one person whose respect he had to earn. And without that moral control, he would have gone off the rails.

And by the way, I know this would have happened because we already saw what it looks like when you have Tony Stark's personality with no human connection. Ultron. Ultron was based on Tony's brainwaves, and the AI determines that to protect the world, he has to destroy everyone but himself. Ultron is the ultimate form of Tony's narcissism and loneliness, or like Wanda says. Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that? So think about the variant timelines that created Dr. Doom. The universe is where something in Tony's life went wrong and he became a bad guy.

I don't see Tony going down this path if he has pepper pots in his life. She would always be there to call out his mistakes. And when she is around, he always wants to be better. So maybe in this other reality, she dies in the final battle against Thanos. She's not there to say, hey, you can rest. And so he finds a way to keep going. He's a scarred man with Infinity Stones who's looking for greater control to make himself feel safe. Or maybe she was snapped away. Tony in Vince Time Travel on his own and relentlessly pursues the Infinity Stones from other universes. Or maybe

in the other universes, they never got back together at the end of Civil War. Imagine a heartbroken Tony Stark in a position of global authority. Or it could be that in the Doctor Doom universe, they never got together. Maybe Tony still became Iron Man, but he never had someone in his life to make him try to be less selfish. Maybe he became the best superhero ever. He stopped all the crime and all the arms dealers and solved world hunger, but he still would have been miserable. And to keep from being miserable, he would continue to tinker to try to solve problems. That kind of tinkering could lead him to a need for ultimate control, which is what Dr. Doom is always striving for, ultimate control over the planet and universe. Or maybe in this variant Dr. Doom universe, his hands were just a little bit smaller so he could fix the arc reactor at his own chest.

So he never let Pepper see him vulnerable, so they never had a connection, and then boom, Dr. Doom is born. So guys, that's just my thoughts on the most crucial scene in Iron Man. What other movies do you want to see me make a crucial scene video about, or do you have any thoughts? Do you think I'm wrong about this? Do you think Tony and Dr. Doom's a bad idea? Let me know on let's see Twitter, Blue Sky Threads, or on our free-to-join Discord server, or at least down in the comments below. And if it's your first time here, welcome to the channel.

Please subscribe, smash that bell for alerts. For Screen Crush, I'm Ryan Erie.