*Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame below*
Sometimes all it takes is a single line to summon a whirlwind of emotions, and while AVENGERS: ENDGAME has plenty of standalone moments that do that as well, there’s one line above all that will forever get the tears jerking: “I love you 3000.” The line is said by Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) young daughter Morgan as her superhero dad is tucking her in at night, and it’s a sweet moment that drives home the domestic bliss he’s found five years after the tragic events of INFINITY WAR.
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Come the movie’s end, the line hits harder when Tony, after giving his life to save the world and vanquish Thanos and his army, says it directly to Morgan via a recorded message played during his funeral, making the audience collectively weep. Much like the line “Always” from HARRY POTTER, the line has taken on a life of its own since the movie hit theaters and will likely go down as one of the most memorable in the entire MCU. It's one that perfectly sums up the beating heart of the series, and while a ton of praise would normally be given to the writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the fact of the matter is the line comes straight from RDJ himself.
"Well, as much as we'd like to take credit for what is inevitably going to be one of the most memorable lines in MCU history, that is something that Robert and his children actually say to each other," Markus revealed to Fandango. "He brought it from real life onto the set."
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According to the report from Fandango, the script originally read “Love you tons. Love you tons,” but Downey added that little line from his own family experience to give it a personal touch. This is not the first time Downey contributed to the emotional weight of a scene, as he did with INFINITY WAR where he pushed himself and Tom Holland further and further with that heartbreaking final scene.
Well, this is obviously a sweet little detail that makes the line even more special. I, like everyone else with a beating heart, got choked up during that final line in Tony's message, and knowing this final line of his in the series also comes from a very personal place for the actor himself gives an extra layer of impact.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME is in theaters now.