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Tony Stark’s Glasses through the MCU

Orane Ennis

Written By:

Orane Ennis

Updated: 27 April 2024 •  
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Steve Rogers: Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?
Tony Stark: Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

 
Hate him or love him, Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man is one of the most beloved superheroes in the world. Thanks to the unbelievable success of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU), he’s a household name.
 
Robert Downey Jr took up the mantle back in 2008. Since then, the metallic maverick has saved the world, fought bad guys, and dazzled in some amazing eyewear looks on screen.
 
It’s no wonder this genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist is renowned for his wit, wealth, and way with the ladies (though it’s Pepper Potts who has his heart).
 
With him being the one who started the Avengers, took Spiderman under his wing, and gave his life in Avenger’s End Game, it’s easy to see why this comic book hero is beloved by kids and adults alike.
 
But today, we’re not going to focus on Tony Starks’ abilities or feats. No, what we’re going to be looking at is his eyewear, specifically some of the great glasses that he has worn throughout his time in the MCU.
 
tony stark glasses throughout the marvel series

Tony Stark’s glasses are nearly as legendary as the character.

 

Tony Stark’s glasses – a look across films

Whether he’s out at a party, meeting his superpowered teammates, giving a speech at the UN, or just chilling, you can bet that Tony Stark will be wearing a cool pair of glasses. Here’s a look at some of our favorites in his movies over the years.
 

1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Spiderman: Far From Home (2019)

 
tony stark and peter parker with a pair of sunglasses in the movie iron man

Tony Stark & Peter Parker wearing the Dita Flight.

 
As a man known for his swagger and style, Tony often donned a great pair of specs that also doubled as an interface for his various artificial intelligence (A.I.), E.D.I.T.H. Which of course, stands for ‘Even Dead, I’m The Hero’.
 
These were the glasses that Tony passed on to Peter Parker in Spiderman: Far From Home.
 
It’s an A.I. that Tony created with defense, intelligence, security, and tactical properties. E.D.I.T.H. can also be used to access Stark Industries’ global satellite network and hack almost any computerized device on the planet. No wonder Mysterio wanted it so badly.
 
The glasses used to interface with E.D.I.T.H. are the Dita Flight.006. They’re a gorgeous pair of aviator glasses. They feature the classic frame with modern touches that include a titanium front frame, bridge piece, and brow bar. Titanium was also used for the temples and the tips were made using a beta-titanium material to give the right fit.
 
Aviators were inspired by pilots and as you’ve probably seen throughout the MCU and you’ll see throughout this post, Tony Stark loves a pair of aviators.
 
These glasses match Tony’s style as you can see he wears a lot of tinted aviator-style shades throughout the MCU films.
 

2. Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)

 
tony stark glasses in spiderman homecoming

Tony Stark in Silhouette The Next Generation (TNG) in Spiderman: Homecoming.

 
Spiderman: Homecoming was a reboot of the Spiderman cast with newcomer, Tom Holland. It was a smash, with Holland who was born for the role. But what helped to make the film shine was RDJ’s cameo as Iron Man.
 
He served as Peter’s mentor and helped him to become the Spiderman we know today. In this scene, we see Tony wearing a pair of rimless blue shades that are actually from Silhouette’s The Next Generation line.
 
Silhouette stated that the blue was chosen for a calming effect and the eyewear showcases intelligence and confidence. Those are two qualities synonymous with Howard Stark’s son so we agree in saying these shades suit him very well.
 

3. Captain America Civil War (2016)

 
tony stark glasses in avengers civil war

Tony Stark wearing the Initium Police in Captain America Civil War.

 
This pair of glasses was a collaboration between Marvel and Initium for Captain America: Civil War. It’s known as the Initium Police and it is a standout pair of shades.
 
It features red-tinted lenses which paired nicely with Tony’s gray suit and red tie from this part of the movie. The frame was a two-toned aviator-square style frame. It was black and clear which set this pair of glasses apart from a lot of the other ones that Tony wore throughout his MCU run.
 
These glasses suited his style perfectly. The splash of color complimented his designer suits and ties and added the right amount of playfulness to his attire.
 

4. Avengers Age of Ultron (2015)

 
tony stark glasses in avengers age of ultron

Tony Stark wearing the Initium All-In in Avengers Age of Ultron.

 
Even when humanity is at threat of total extinction due to one of his creations, Tony Stark still manages to look stylish through it all. And his time in Avengers Age of Ultron is no different.
 
One of his shades in this movie is the Initium All-In (Black). It’s a gorgeous pair of aviator square shades with black lenses and a black frame. The tips are red but Tony donned the black-tipped version in Iron Man 2.
 
These shades line up perfectly with Stark’s style, as you notice he often wears large aviator square glasses throughout the MCU movies.
 

5. Iron Man 3 (2013)

 
tony stark glasses in iron man 3

Tony Stark in The Matsuda MS3023 in Iron Man 3.

 
Iron Man 3 was the last solo Iron Man movie and the highest-rated movie out of the Iron Man trilogy. It followed the first Avengers and kicked off Phase 2 of the MCU. It’s no doubt that the MCU’s metal knight would stay stylish in his final solo movie, and that he does.
 
However, one moment stuck with us and it was when he was rocking the Matsuda MS3023. Another aviator square style glasses, the ones featured in the movie had red-tinted lenses with a matte black and gold plated frame.
 
It features a double bridge design that’s similar to the Dita Flight.006, Initium All-In, and the Initium Police. It’s clear that Stark loved his aviator-inspired glasses and we loved them on him.
 
If you want to see more of Tony Stark’s eyewear, we recommend checking @tonyseyewear on Instagram.
 
There’s also a great supercut of all of Tony Stark’s eyewear throughout the MCU, check it out below:
 

 

Beyond Tony Stark: Robert Downey Jr’s glasses style

robert downey jr wearing eyeglasses

Robert Downey Jr’s stylish eyewear.

 
Robert Downey Jr was made to play Tony Stark.
 
The casting choice was as perfect as Chris Evans was for Captain America. RDJ brought Tony Stark to life on the big screen. He made Tony Stark what he is to many fans of both the movies and comic books alike. So much so that MCU Tony Stark has influenced the comic book version going forward.
 
So it’s no surprise that RDJ’s style is influenced by Tony Stark and vice versa. He’s a man that goes for a sophisticated look with his eyewear, something that makes a statement yet enhances his overall look.
 
You can always be sure that RDJ will be in a fashionable pair of shades on the red carpet, in an interview, or at an event.
 
One quick Google search will show the actor in a variety of glasses, each unique and quite fashionable. One thing that both Tony Stark and RDJ have in common is that they both love tinted glasses. While the character, Tony Stark, seems to love Aviator-styled glasses, RDJ seems to prefer a bit more variety.
 
He’s been seen wearing sunglasses in a variety of different styles but seems to like rectangular glasses, retro square glasses, and wayfarer glasses. He’s also not afraid to mix it up and try rocking a pair of unique glasses.
 
If you’re looking to replicate the RDJ look shown above, here are a few Mouqy frames for you to try out!
 
dazzling square two tone blue eyeglasses frame top view

The Dazzling square in two-tone blue.

 
hype clear square eyeglasses frame top view

The Hype with a transparent square frame.

 
altrist square tortoise eyeglasses frame top view

The Altrist with a square frame in tortoise.

 
maestoso aviator gray eyeglasses frame top view

The Maestoso aviator in gray.

 
billie square orange eyeglasses frame top view

The Billie with a square frame in orange.

 
mate oval tortoise eyeglasses frame top view

The Mate with an oval frame in tortoise.

 
Also – here’s a great compilation that shows every time RDJ has put on or taken off sunglasses in his movies from 1985 to 2018.
 

 

The importance of UV protection – why tinted glasses are the best

You’ll notice that a lot of Tony Stark’s glasses are tinted, this is great for style but also even better for eye protection. Many tinted glasses offer protection against UV-A and UV-B light. These UV rays are the same ultraviolet rays that can damage your skin. Turns out, they can damage your eyes too.
 
To protect your eyes, you need sunglasses that block 99-100% of UV-A and UV-B as well as screen out 75-90% of visible light. This protects your eyes from harmful UV rays and reduces ocular diseases such as cataracts, photokeratitis, and pterygium. We’ve written plenty more on the importance of UV protection!
 
Many experts recommend gray, green, or brown sunglasses. However, other colors work fine too as long as they have sufficient UV protection.
 

Tony Stark’s glasses – a wrap up

Tony Stark is a man like no other. While many other superheroes have secret identities, he lives his life on the world stage. A businessman, and a hero in one, he knows how to work, party, and save the world all while wearing some of the most stylish glasses available.
 
If a man is as good as his shades, then it’s no wonder Tony Stark is so great.

Orane Ennis

Written by:

Orane Ennis

Orane Ennis is a freelance writer with a passion for tech and hunting down the latest functional eyewear. He enjoys donning glasses as an accessory and productivity tool for his workday.

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