Robert Downey Jr.'s iconic MCU counterpart, Tony Stark, has never been the one to shy away from making himself too comfortable around others — attributing out-of-context nicknames to different characters that turn out to be very accurate when you thoroughly think about them (though, to be fair, some are quite obvious to understand) is a brilliant skill that is up there in the list.
It is an undeniable fact that Iron Man will forever be one of the best fictional people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; the witty character is equal parts charming as he is intelligent. Throughout the years, Tony successfully delivered a very solid share of comic relief moments — these amazing pet names were a part of it.
10) "Manchurian Candidate"
This infamous nickname was, during Captain America: Civil War, attributed to Sebastian Stan's character Bucky, the beloved childhood friend of Cap’s (Chris Evans) who was tortured by government doctors. Later, he was turned into a professional assassin that went by the name of "The Winter Soldier" and eventually cold-bloodedly murdered Tony's parents by demand.
This is clearly a reference to a Richard Condon novel of the same name, which centers around the American government brainwashing citizens to become killers. It does sound familiar, doesn't it?
9) "Ringo"
During Iron Man 3, upon learning that the supposed terrorist causing chaos worldwide was merely a paid actor named Trevor Slattery, genius billionaire Tony Stark was quick to come up with a bunch of nicknames for Ben Kingsley's character Mandarin.
"Sir Laurence Oliver" and "Meryl Streep" were hilarious references, as both are well-known masters of their field. But "Ringo" was on a whole another level and is easily the one nickname that stood out the most given the fact that there is a strong physical resemblance.
8) "Legolas"
Dismissing the fact that Jeremy Renner's character Clint Barton does not have beautiful platinum hair and a charming pair of pointy ears, Tony calling him "Legolas" does not seem like too much of a stretch. He does have a talent for the bow and arrow, after all.
The witty Lord of the Rings reference happens during the battle of New York in the first Avengers film: Hawkeye needs to get up to a high point and asks Iron Man for a lift.
7) "Flash Gordon"
“Flash Gordon” is the protagonist character, played by Sam J. Jones, of the famous 1980 film. Much like the ‘80s hero loves a little space adventure after being abruptly sent onto it, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), under the same circumstances, also enjoys his daily dose of fun.
During an argument in Avengers: Infinity War, when Tony, Quill, the Guardians, and Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) are discussing the plan of attack, Stark, of course, sees the opportunity to sarcastically weaponize something pop culture related and rightfully takes it.
6) "Point Break"
At the start of The Avengers, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) rescues his brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), from the quinjet the Avengers are keeping him in. This leads to a battle between Tony and Thor in the forest. Stark calls him "Shakespeare in the Park" at some point, given his intriguing choice of costumes.
However, referencing the 1991 film where Patrick Swayze's Bodhi rocks a similar hairstyle, the beloved MCU character refers to the God of Thunder as "Point Break" later in the same movie — it also turns out to be his password when Thor tries to activate the quinjet in Thor: Ragnarok.
5) "Underoos"
Much like "Spider-ling," "Spider-Boy," or "Crime-fighting Spider," there is no big science behind this one. For context, underoos is a set of matching briefs and top themed after a superhero or other fictional character.
During the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War, when Team Cap and Team Iron Man are lining up to confront each other, Tony refers to Spider-Man as "Underoos" thanks to his pajama-like super suit. There is hardly any doubt that Downey Jr.'s character constantly makes up hilarious nicknames that certainly catch viewers by surprise.
4) Capsicle
This one is a no-brainer: "Popsicle" plus "Captain" equals "capsicle". Steve Rogers' body was frozen in the Arctic for 66 years before he was finally found and eventually woke up to a whole new world, as is shown in the post-credits scene of Captain America: The First Avenger.
During one of their first conversations in The Avengers, Tony refers to Steve as "Capsicle" given the great amount of time he has spent on the ice. Sassy and humorous, Tony's unmatched skill never disappoints.
3) Reindeer Games - Loki
Loki is referred to as "Rock of Ages" in The Avengers thanks to his hairstyle, but "Reindeer Games" is arguably the superior nickname for two reasons.
Apart from the fact that his headpiece design really resembles reindeer horns, "Reindeer Games" has gradually become a colloquial expression for "bullying," which pretty much sums up what the God of Mischief was doing. Iron Man says this when fighting Loki during his attack on Germany.
2) Build-A-Bear
Bradley Cooper's oddly adorable Raccoon has won a lot of people over with his polished sarcasm and intelligence. While the anthropomorphic character is not one to be messed with, it is extremely hard to be indifferent to his cuteness.
During Avengers: Endgame, when the team reunites at the Avengers Compound and tries to come up with a plan to defeat Thanos, Stark reveals that up until the moment the Rocket talked, he was genuinely convinced that he was a Build-A-Bear — the best part about it, though, is the way the Raccoon does not deny it. While the nickname wasn't intentional, it still was pretty funny.
1) Squidward - Ebony Maw
Considering Black Order member Ebony Maw's (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) strong resemblance with Spongebob SquarePants' anthropomorphic octopus, it only makes sense that Tony would mention it, especially when he has no idea who he is talking to (although he would say it even if he did at the time).
In Avengers: Infinity War, when Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian (Terry Notary) arrived in New York in search of Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto (also known as the Time Stone) Stark refers to Maw as "Squidward" and tells him to get lost.