Comparing The Loss of Iron Man to Black Panther

credit: MCU

Death in the Marvel Universe has rarely ever been a problem apart from the cases of a few individuals who were allowed to stay dead, but in the MCU, death remains constant at this time, at least with those who have died in a meaningful way, since the case of He Who remains it’s fair to state that we’ll be seeing him again, albeit with a different name no doubt. But the deaths of two of the more notable names in the MCU, Iron Man and Black Panther, are losses that many people have felt acutely.

While Iron Man died on screen, and the actor is still very much alive, Black Panther’s actor, Chadwick Boseman, passed away a while back. Neither hero is going to be brought back, as far as anyone knows, as things are already moving forward, and these characters’ legacy is being tended to by those who will be replacing them. But the question of which character’s death created a larger impact is one that many people would no doubt feel the need to comment on since the idea has usually been that there’s always the need to put one person above the other. It’s not the best practice in the world, but it’s one that continues to be recognized by various characters. 

credit: MCU

Who was more integral to the MCU?

That’s kind of a tough question since a lot of fans might actually state that Black Panther was thanks to the idea that he helped to increase the diversification of the MCU, and he came across as the ‘first’ black superhero that people could get behind. I guess that means that people either forgot about Blade or figured that he’s not as good of a role model, but oh well. But the death of T’Challa is a heavy blow since it’s going to mean that a nation has lost its protector.

The loss of Chadwick Boseman, in general, is a loss since the man was a great actor and gave a lot of people a reason to hope that this character would be one of the best in the MCU. In the time he was given in the franchise, he did quite a bit, and his presence was fully appreciated by quite a few people. But as far as his influence goes, one has to think that Tony Stark’s death was a little more meaningful since while T’Challa is going to be seen as dying for his country, Tony ended up sacrificing himself for the world and the universe if one is being honest. 

Whose death was more meaningful?

The fact is that both characters did a great deal for the franchise since Black Panther came into thunderous applause when he first arrived, while Iron Man was used to kicking things off as the franchise started up well over a decade ago. When speaking about who did more for the franchise, both characters were put through their paces and made to earn their spot, though T’Challa’s backstory was a bit rushed out of necessity and might have been filled in a bit had Boseman not passed away.

But when thinking about who has done the most for the franchise and who is bound to have the most widespread, lasting effect, it’s kind of easy to state that it’s Iron Man since not only did he mentor another superhero, helping to form the Avengers and provide a backdrop for the rest of the MCU to build from, he went out in a manner that could only be deemed as the ultimate sacrifice since he eliminated one of the biggest threats in the universe. T’Challa gave a great deal for his people, but up until he made it clear that Wakanda would be joining the world and would stop hiding, he was a powerful character, but one that was mostly bound within the confines of his own country. 

credit: MCU

Whose death will change the MCU the most? 

It does feel that Tony’s death has been allowed to dissipate as the tremors of his sacrifice have sent ripples through the MCU. Black Widow’s death was a hard hit for many fans, as was the idea that Captain America would step aside. Black Panther’s death is going to be a big event as well, but somehow it almost feels as though it’s bound to be pushed a little harder, whereas Tony’s death was allowed to simply drift through the MCU and create one effect or another.

In other words, when it comes to meaningful deaths, Tony’s feels as though it was allowed to happen, and the grieving process was, therefore, easier to get through, while T’Challa’s is going to be treated like a horrible tragedy, which it is, and therefore force the event into the spotlight in order to remind everyone what’s been lost. To be honest, both deaths were meaningful, which makes it easy to state that both will end up changing the MCU. Tony’s is a little more meaningful at this time since it’s helped to shape the MCU moving forward, not to mention the fact that Ironheart will be seen in Wakanda Forever. 

In the end, it feels that both heroes did quite a bit for the MCU.

If Tony has any more importance than T’Challa, it’s because he was a part of the MCU for a longer period of time and because he had a far longer reach in terms of how many stories he was a part of and how integrated the character really was. If there’s a lesson to be learned from this, it’s that the new Black Panther might have to extend the nation’s awareness and cooperation with the rest of the world even further than their predecessor did.