It’s clearly a sign of how good a movie is when, more than a year after its release, we’re still discussing it and have questions about certain decisions or plot points. Now, obviously these don’t include questions like, “What were they thinking?” or “Why was this even made?” Rather, it’s about being able to place ourselves in the moment and taking a deep dive into certain aspects. This time, we’re talking about why Iron Man didn’t use one particular invention of his against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) had created an advanced A.I. system called E.D.I.T.H., or “Even Dead, I’m The Hero” that he intended to pass on to Peter Parker in the eventuality where he died. This does eventually happen, leading to pandemonium when it falls into the wrong hands and is misused as part of a villainous master plan in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
E.D.I.T.H. certainly existed before that particular moment, though, including when Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America faced off against Thanos in the climactic final battle. So, some fans are wondering why Tony didn’t use it to give himself another tactical advantage in what was the most pivotal battle for the fate of the world.
With the ability to access Stark Industries’ global intelligence network, including security, defence and tactical assets, it could have served as a super-charged weapon. So, why didn’t it make an appearance? Well, this probably wasn’t an oversight or a case of the writers forgetting that E.D.I.T.H. existed in the continuity. Instead, it was more likely that a drone attack probably wouldn’t have made too much of a difference. After all, Thanos manages to fend off attacks from even the strongest Avengers like Thor and the Hulk.
As ScreenRant explains:
However, not bringing in E.D.I.T.H. for Endgame’s final battle may not have been a mistake or even an oversight. It’s important to take into consideration that regardless of how dangerous Spider-Man: Far From Home built it up to be, E.D.I.T.H. would have amounted to no more than a drop in the bucket in terms of their battle strategy against Thanos. At most, it would only have made a difference against some of his minions. Thanos effortlessly beat Hulk in Avengers: Infinity War and shrugged off devastating blows from Thor and a Mjolnir-wielding Captain America in Avengers: Endgame. These characters were clearly capable of hurting Thanos, but weren’t powerful enough to bring him down, despite their overwhelming numbers. If the combined forces of the Avengers couldn’t do the trick, it’s hard to imagine Stark’s drones making much of a dent, either.
So, while it might have fallen short of being effective against galactic threats, it should be pretty useful against Spider-Man’s usual roster of enemies. Maybe Robert Downey Jr. could even make a post-Avengers: Endgame appearance as the next A.I. voice of E.D.I.T.H.?