It's almost over, it's just begun

Similarly in AoU, he tells the Avengers that they weren’t anywhere close to an interface, meaning “something outside of our work on the program caused this” and when they ignore him (without asking for clarification) he stops bothering to defend himself because he’s already said all he can say, rather than trying to walk them through why this cannot be his Ultron.

Even shortly after the above scene, when Tony needs Steve to slow the helicarrier rotor and Steve barks “Speak English!” at him, Tony does. He explains how Steve needs to reset the power and where the emergency brake is in simple terms immediately and smoothly. In IM1, he does the same thing for Pepper, explaining how to overload the plant’s arc reactor to kill Obadiah. In IM3, he’s very patient and clear explaining things to Harley in such a way that not only will he understand, but he’ll also do as Tony says. Hell, even with Peter - who is clearly very intelligent - he modifies his approach and reasoning to make sense to a teenage boy (like the post-ferry argument).

It’s interesting, too, because he’s not condescending about it either. He’s aware that most people don’t operate on his level and is happy to simplify the information. If given the chance, he could have explained why Ultron was not his fault or why he agreed with the Accords.

The other half of this, too, is that none of the Avengers believe he’s capable of being sincere or emotional. Remember when that mom confronted him by the elevator in Civil War and blamed him for her son’s death? Remember how when he relayed that story to the Avengers later - having clearly been affected it - and they scoffed at him? Remember how wounded Tony was in the Siberian bunker, but Steve looked like he was surprised at see him upset? Bucky knew better, saw the grief right away, but Steve didn’t. Even when they show up at his house in Endgame, they look shocked to see him with Morgan, confused as to how he’s a good dad when he’s been like this most of the time they’ve known him.

When Tony gets in his own head, Steve snaps, “Speak English!” and Tony automatically shuts down the nerd talk and says “You see that red lever?” Then explains what the lever is going to do in simple, Steve and audience friendly terms.

So actually, Tony did likely guide Steve through checking the panel in a way that was clear, concise, and simple but not condescending. Because Tony knows he’s the smartest person there, he’s always known, but he’s also had to run a company of people who can’t talk shop with him. He has to be able to speak in a way shareholders and investors will understand. Hell, he talked Harley through repairing the MK42 in IM3 over the phone while driving.

Just liked the idea of Tony experiencing some weird side effects of having the arc reactor in his chest.

he could’ve gone bad during his MIT days when he finally escaped from under his father’s thumb and experienced the world without the pressure of Howard Stark, he could’ve gone bad at 17 when he became an orphan and suddenly had to manage a conglomerate, he could’ve gone bad at any point during his widely successful career at a weapon’s manufacturer because the whole world called him the Merchant of Death, he could’ve gone bad after Afghanistan when he found out that he’d been betrayed beyond belief

but he always makes the choice to do good

even when faced with real and valid reasons to say fuck it and go rouge, tony’s actions are guided by his morality and his desire to do good in the world

I say "healthiest" because, depending how you view him or write him or the point in time, I do feel he might feel like he has to improve, that he is "never enough" or he is "never doing enough". Which isn't the same as simply going "I know improvement is possible".

absolutely sick of him. whats wrong with you

one time they're on a mission for the TVA, working together surprisingly well - only, thanks to temppad malfunction (read: Wade's ADHD fidgeting) they managed to land on the wrong side of a forest to their mark. Wade, taking this in his stride, yells 'race ya!' and sprints off into the trees.

Only

Ten seconds later

300lb of snarling Wolverine thumps into his back

Driving him facefirst onto a bed of pine needles and gnarled old roots

Pinning him prone, wrists grabbed two-together in one of Logan's big hands, slammed into the floor over Wade's head. He's scruffed by Logan's jaws, which clamp tight on the back of Wade's neck, ready to bite down through his spinal cord and sheer off his life

And all the while

Logan is growling. Growling like Wade just dangled a nice raw steak under his nose, then whipped it away at the last second. Growling louder, biting down firmer, the moment Wade tries to wiggle away - until he submits, goes limp, lets himself be pinned.

Wade, trying desperately to think of something funny to say, can only manage a breathy little "Well, now I'm wet"

"IM TEACHING HER IMPORTANT SHIT"

Tony Stark’s ridiculously floppy hair he has to slick back for work, because like any good comics hero, he always has That One Rakish Lock Of Hair ™. Whoever styled Downey obviously knew what they were doing.

Relatedly, Paltrow actually ginger as Pepper. I love the strawberry-blonde look from later movies, too, but it’s so bright and pretty here.

JARVIS. Just… JARVIS.

The soundtrack. It’s one of the most distinctive and enjoyably electric-guitar-heavy soundtracks I’ve heard. I love how it mostly goes for modern-ish synths and ambient stuff, and also nods to classic rock, classic metal in particular. (The drums are incredibly John Bonham, and one of the main refrains is so close to “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin that I’m pleasantly surprised someone didn’t try to sue Ramin Djawadi.) Makes perfect sense for a futurist who works in tech at the cutting edge, but does it listening to stuff like 90s metal and AC/DC and wearing Black Sabbath shirts. Also, it means that when the full orchestral pomp kicks in, it’s even more affecting for how unusual it is.   

“The bad guys won’t even want to come out of their caves.” Sure, it’s an offhand joke, but there’s a kernel of truth to it. It shows how damnably naive he is about some things, even as he pretends not to be. (”There’s a line, we don’t cross it.”)

The fact that he tells Yinsen, “Thank you for saving me.” A little thing, but important, especially contrasted to “What have you done to me?” at the start of their acquaintanceship.

The American Cheeseburger

The way it shows that good is something you have to do, not just something you are. We get to see pretty much every step of him becoming Iron Man, and it’s shown to be damn hard work. We get to see him exhausted and scruffy and injured, and his test flight nearly kills him, but he keeps going.

And we see the intricacies of what he’s doing. God, I love how much attention has been paid to the tech. The sequences when you get to see all the hydraulics and the soldering, so on… That’s just lovely prop and animation work. (Yes, I’m just here for the tech porn. How did you know?)

“I shouldn’t be alive, unless it was for a reason.”

A lovely Pepper/Tony dynamic that’s so different from the comics in all the best ways. “You’re the most qualified, capable person I know” is said with earnest admiration.

Though “Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart” could be straight from the comics - again, in all the best ways.

How quiet Tony is. It’s more pronounced after Afghanistan, but even before, when he’s not playing up the snark, he’s soft-spoken, introspective and receptive, constantly trying to put people at ease. Sure, he can be arrogant and do dumb things (keeping Rhodey waiting three damn hours? Really, Stark?) and he’s obviously very used to his privilege, but it’s an interesting contrast and a nice piece of characterisation that’s very in line with 616. We get to see that less in other movies, but it’s always there.

The arc reactor. A beautiful piece of in-universe engineering and prop design, and a really lovely poetic device that makes perfect sense with the arcs and motifs from the comics even though it was an MCU invention. 

The fact that someone clearly went, “The workshop is important to him and probably where he spends most of his time” and worked to add little touches: the coffee machine, the models, the spare parts, the bits and pieces of a life dotted around. It feels very lived-in and like they actually thought about his character, rather than like they went for generic “harsh and futuristic = cool”.

Oh and: Tony Stark rides bikes, apparently. I needed to know that.

That Audi. 

And that damn water feature. Apparently the epitome of cool is having your own little waterfall. I miss that waterfall; I’m so sad we lost it when the mansion got trashed.

How easy an entry point it is, and how it stands perfectly well on its own as just… a really good movie, regardless of the rest of the MCU or the comics. I’d never picked up an Iron Man comic before I saw this, and I fell utterly in love with the universe, the characters and the themes anyway.

The little, realistic touches like the goatee starting to grow out and the motor oil marks.