Iron Man‘s Marvel Cinematic Universe journey has led to many emotional, hilarious, and long-lasting quotes from the hero, but some emerge as the most profound. Robert Downey Jr.’s performances as Tony Stark have led to some of Marvel’s best movies. The actor’s take on the character is pitch-perfect, oozing with charisma, and becoming one of the MCU’s most quotable heroes.

As the first hero in the franchise, Downey’s Iron Man timeline is key to the MCU as a whole. There would be no MCU without him, and Stark’s quotes have reflected that a few times over the years. Many of Iron Man’s most insightful lines in the franchise have connected to larger storylines and themes of the MCU, rather than just Stark.

One thing that is important to note is that the list is not simply focused on Iron Man’s best quotes in the MCU. While a few of Tony Stark’s most iconic lines are present, the main goal is to highlight the character’s most thought-provoking quotes or lines that resonate long after Robert Downey Jr. first uttered them. These are the best:

“I Love You 3000.” – Avengers: Endgame

The first quote on the list is one of Iron Man’s sweetest lines in the franchise. “I Love You 3000” has become perhaps the most repeated quote from Avengers: Endgame, which is no small feat. Truth be told, the quote is not particularly thought-provoking or intricate to come up with. At face value, it does not even make sense.

However, it is a genius quote due to how Marvel perfectly encapsulated Iron Man’s love for his daughter, Morgan, and their beautiful relationship in one quote. We don’t get to see much of Tony Stark as a dad, but this quote showcases how his years with Morgan were as loving as one could imagine.

“I Don’t Care. He Killed My Mom.” – Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War is one of the MCU’s most important movies. It is the event that broke up the Avengers and allowed Thanos to win later. After an entire movie of Iron Man and Captain America fighting for what they believed to be right, the movie’s final fight boils down to something primal.

Downey’s Tony Stark shows vulnerability when he confronts Steve Rogers about how he knew Bucky killed his parents. Iron Man could have tolerated so much from Steve, but this line explores how he was betrayed on the one sensitive topic for Tony. He had a complex relationship with his dad, but his mom was pure, innocent, yet still murdered.

“You Mess With Time, It Tends To Mess Back.” – Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is one of the MCU movies with the most hard-hitting lines, which tracks, given how it is the end of an era. It could have also tried to set up elements for the Avengers’ next main villain, as one Iron Man line feels particularly timely, based on how the MCU’s Multiverse Saga started.

Kang the Conqueror is all about time travel and different timelines. He was meant to be the villain of the next two Avengers movies before Jonathan Majors was fired by Marvel. Tony’s line would have perfectly connected to Kang. That said, it still rings true to Thanos in Avengers: Endgame and the Multiverse Saga’s overall themes.

“I Just Want Peace. Turns Out Resentment Is Corrosive, And I Hate It.” – Avengers: Endgame

This line perfectly tackles Captain America: Civil War‘s main conflict and settles it in Avengers: Endgame. Tony Stark has often been H๏τ-headed, but he had very strong motives to be mad at Steve Rogers. However, with years to think about what happened between them and its impact on the world, Tony changed his mind.

Iron Man refusing to be wrong or change his mind has been a recurring MCU element. This line exemplifies Tony’s growth. Despite having reason to be angry at Captain America, time has made him realize that Steve being by his side is the only way he can heal from the hurt he has cultivated.

“Isn’t That Why We Fight, So That We Can End The Fight So We Can Go Home?” – Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron might not be the team’s splashiest movie. However, I believe that it is perhaps the one that focuses on the characters’ dynamics outside of saving the world the most, which is quite interesting. Iron Man and Captain America’s dialogue at the Barton farm leaves a mark.

While they do not see eye to eye on the topic, Tony Stark’s words pan out later for both characters. Iron Man gets his retirement with his daughter and wife before he has to fight again and dies. Captain America then does what Tony said, helping defeat Thanos and retiring to live with Peggy Carter in the past. It is solid foreshadowing.

“Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist” – The Avengers

Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man has been a scene-stealing character ever since his MCU debut. Tony Stark is electric every time he appears, often using snarky dialogue to snap back at characters. In The Avengers, Marvel made it clear that Iron Man and Captain America were two very different beasts.

When Captain America tries to break down Tony, questioning what he is without his Iron Man armor, Downey’s character quickly lists all the factors that made him who he was at that point. It is established as the basis for how the character would change immensely from that point forward, even sacrificing himself in the same movie.

“Part Of The Journey Is The End.” – Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame was the effective grand finale to the MCU’s Infinity Saga. It was also Downey’s final movie as Iron Man — at least, for the time being — as Tony Stark would die by the end of it. As such, the film addresses many MCU characters’ journeys and storylines with a sense of finality.

With this quote, Tony is trying to reᴀssure Pepper Potts about his imminent death. It ends up being a beautiful way to look at his death later in the movie, as fans got to see and hear Iron Man say everything he wanted to. The quote’s meaning is that one should not be sad that something ended, but glad that it happened at all.

“If You’re Nothing Without The Suit, Then You Shouldn’t Have It.” – Spider-Man: Homecoming

Iron Man’s relationship with Spider-Man has led to many controversial opinions over the years. However, I believe that Tony Stark needed to have Peter Parker in his life. It is through this mentor role that we see the character address his own personal growth and try to do things differently for the young hero from the start.

In the Iron Man franchise, Tony said that giving up his Iron Man suits was like giving up himself, as they were one. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, he has grown beyond that feeling. Tony does not allow Peter to fall down that same path, helping him see that being a hero comes from within, and that trumps any superpowers.

“No Amount Of Money Bought A Second Of Time.” – Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame‘s time travel plot allowed Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man to meet his father, Howard Stark, in the past. The MCU showed many times how Tony had complex feelings related to his father, such as him noting his mother’s death instead of both his parents when attacking Bucky and Steve in Captain America: Civil War.

After establishing a quick friendship with Howard, he is asked about the advice his father gave him. This quote is quite meaningful, coming from one of the richest characters in the MCU. Time with loved ones is more valuable than spending a lot of time chasing wealth. Tony was at his happiest with Pepper and Morgan after retiring, understanding that.

“And I… Am Iron Man.” – Avengers: Endgame

Finally, Iron Man’s most iconic quote takes the first place on the list, as its latest use in the MCU tied his story with a bow. Iron Man’s first movie ended with Tony Stark admitting to the world that he was Iron Man. That was an act of defiance, trying to prove himself as something more to the world.

In Avengers: Endgame, Tony’s use of the quote evokes some of its original meaning, but this time, there is no ego involved. Thanos says, “I’m inevitable,” and Iron Man’s quote comes as a way of showing the villain that he was defeated; the heroes did it. Iron Man went from selfish to selfless in the MCU, with the quote used for both.