“I Love You 3000” Was Never in the Endgame Script; Robert Downey Jr.’s Son Exton Used to Say It to Him

“Avengers: Endgame Encore” opens in U.S. theaters on Sept. 25, bringing the 2019 film back with new footage that leads into December’s “Avengers: Doomsday.” Fans are returning to see Tony Stark one more time just as Robert Downey Jr. prepares to play Doctor Doom.

Downey shaped Tony’s farewell through 3 key decisions.

Cement-dusted hands raised, Robert Downey Jr. participates in the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ cast handprint ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood on April 23, 2019. Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic via Getty Images.

“I love you 3000” came from home. Writer Stephen McFeely said the script originally read, “I love you tons. I love you tons,” before Downey brought in a phrase his son Exton used. Downey later explained that Exton said it before he could quantify love, reaching instead for the biggest number he knew.

The writers had also given Tony a long death speech. McFeely said silence carried more weight for “a guy who has talked and talked and talked for many, many movies.” Downey told them, “Listen, I want to do much, much less.”

The final “I am Iron Man” was added during post-production, which required Downey to reshoot Tony’s last moment. Joe Russo recalled Downey telling him over dinner, “I don’t know. I don’t really want to go back and get into that emotional state. It’ll take… it’s hard.” Producer Joel Silver, who was also at the dinner, pushed him to do it: “Robert, what are you talking about? That’s the greatest line I’ve ever heard! You gotta say this line!”

Years later, Downey raised a Doctor Doom return over dinner with Joe Russo in New York. Russo described the turn: “He played the ultimate hero, and now he’s going to play the ultimate villain.” Downey has since said the mask left him isolated while the rest of the cast socialized: “I am the enemy!”

Chris Evans had rejected “at least a dozen” pitches to return as Steve Rogers over 8 years. Then he heard Downey was talking to Marvel. “And all of a sudden it felt right,” Evans said.

Encore runs about 185 minutes with roughly 4 minutes of extra footage, its special end tag plays in IMAX and Infinity Vision screenings, and “Avengers: Doomsday” opens Dec. 18.

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