The Russo Brothers Just Answered A Major 'Infinity War' Question About Tony Stark

When Avengers: Infinity War opens, Tony Stark and his fiancée Pepper Potts are jogging through Central Park in New York. Stark is beginning to lean into retirement and the idea of family life. He seems to be teasing Pepper with it, while also pushing the subject of kids. But Pepper is adamant. Until the Iron Man suit is put away for good, there will be no kids, and she is not pregnant. But does Tony Stark have a son on the way? He swears the dream where he and Pepper had a boy felt so real, and he's convinced it's a sign she might be pregnant.

For most fans, this was a bit of a throwaway moment. Tony doesn't really have a son on the way. It's a setup, indicating this adventure was one last hurrah before retirement, perhaps a warning Stark would die by the end of the film, as so many do in their final job before they retire for good.

But Stark does not die. Instead, he watches in horror as all those around him on Thanos' home planet become dusted, including Peter Parker. So if the scene wasn't foreshadowing Stark's death, what was it?

Turns out, according to the Russo brothers who directed Avengers: Infinity War and the forthcoming follow-up Avengers 4, the dream Tony had was no ordinary dream. As ScreenRant explains:

During the Vudu-hosted viewing party in celebration of the release of Infinity War on digital (which was live-tweeted by The Avengers' official Twitter account), Joe and Anthony Russo took several fan questions, one of which was asking whether or not Tony's dream is real. While the directing duo said Tony's son is nothing more than a figure of his imagination, they did add that dreams are "mysterious." And considering Tony's long history with visions, chances are that his dream of having a child might mean something more moving forward.

This doesn't mean Pepper is bluffing in the scene, mind you. She might not realize she's pregnant. Or perhaps she's not pregnant yet, and Tony's "mysterious" dream is him having an intuition of a farther off future.

The Russo Brothers are currently in the mode where they insist those who are dusted at the end of Infinity War are really dead, and fans should grieve and get it over with because they're not coming back. But fans aren't buying it. They point to visions like the one Tony has at the beginning of the film as a sign the world will right itself.

Fans of Marvel hope no one from the Avengers will die. If Tony Stark departs the franchise (and with Robert Downey Jr. pushing 50, it's likely he will at the end of the next film), it will be as a father settling into retirement. This would be a boon for Marvel's Phase IV, having Stark in their back pocket to pull out in cameo appearances here and there. If he'll have Stark Jr. with him remains to be seen.

Avengers 4: No, We Don't Know the Title Yet arrives in theaters on May 3, 2019.