Dario Agger, the Minotaur who runs Roxxon, could be the real buyer of Stark Tower - setting him up to be a major villain in the MCU. The sale of Stark Tower was a major sub-plot in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Marvel was careful to not avoid revealing just who’d bought the Avengers’ old HQ. That reticence looked deliberate, as though Marvel had purposefully left a loose end that they’d tie up at a later date. Spider-Man: Far From Home left viewers even more curious, confirming that extensive reconstruction work was almost complete, but again not even giving a hint who the building’s buyer could be.
So far, attention has focused on two possibilities: the Fantastic Four and Norman Osborn. In both cases, there’s no real evidence to support the idea; the theories rest upon what their ownerships could mean for the future of the MCU. If Stark Tower is owned by the Fantastic Four, for example, then the former Avengers HQ has actually become the MCU version of the Baxter Building. If it’s been purchased by Norman Osborn, then the MCU could potentially be setting up the so-called “Dark Reign” era, where Osborn essentially took over the Marvel Universe for a time.
Marvel’s Phase 4 announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 raises the possibility that there’s a third option. Stark Tower could have been bought by Dario Agger, CEO of Roxxon, and a major villain in the All-New All-Different Marvel era in the comics.
Dario Agger and Roxxon Could Have Bought Stark Tower
Stark Tower could have been bought by Dario Agger, CEO of Roxxon. The son of two Greek fishermen, when Dario Agger was a child, his family had ran afoul of pirates. His parents were murdered, and the pirates hunted the young Dario on a deserted island in the Aegean Sea. There, he stumbled upon a magical statue of a Minotaur, and was blessed with the ability to transform into the legendary beast. Driven by greed and a lust for power, Agger excelled at his education, and he soon joined Roxxon Energy Corporation. His ambition led to him becoming CEO, and under his leadership, Roxxon flourished - in large part because of Agger’s ruthless business acumen, his willingness to ignore environmental issues, and his delight at taking advantage of vulnerable people and communities.
Roxxon already has a major presence in the MCU. It was name-dropped in all three Iron Man films; a Roxxon sign was seen in Iron Man, they sponsored a race car in Iron Man 2, and a Roxxon employee was apparently killed on-camera by the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Phil Coulson stopped off at a Roxxon petrol station in the one-shot A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer, and Marvel Television used the company in Agent Carter, Agents of SHIELD, Daredevil, and - most prominently - in Cloak & Dagger season 1. So there’s clearly potential for Marvel Studios to use Roxxon as an antagonist. What’s more, they’d certainly be interested in Stark Tower, which was powered by an innovative Arc Reactor that they’d be keen to study.
Meanwhile, the MCU’s Phase 4 looks to be taking inspiration from a Marvel relaunch in 2015, the so-called “All-New All-Different Marvel” range. That era was marked by a focus on heroes like Jane Foster’s Thor and Sam Wilson’s Captain America, with the comics also introducing a bevy of younger characters. Dario Agger was a significant figure in the All-New All-Different Marvel era, and he considered purchasing Stark Tower when Tony Stark had to sell it due to financial troubles. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine Marvel Studios drawing upon this as part of Phase 4.
Dario Agger Could Be The Villain Of Thor 4
If Dario Agger really has bought Stark Tower, then Thor: Love and Thunder writer/director Taika Waititi could draw upon a stunning comic book arc. Waititi is confirmed to be using ideas that are drawn straight from the comics, with Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster returning as the Mighty Thor; at SDCC, Waititi stressed his love for the Jason Aaron run, and Natalie Portman has shared images of her reading the comics in preparation for her drastically changed role. That’s important, because Dario Agger was one of the key villains of Aaron’s story, challenging Thor Odinson, the female Thor, and even the Asgardian settlement on Earth.
It all began when Thor learned how Roxxon was affecting the environment on Earth. Horrified, he lashed out at Roxxon factories, destroying them with lightning. At the time, Asgard was situated on Earth, and Agger got revenge by heavily polluting the area around the Asgardian settlement in Broxton. He manipulated a colony of Trolls into attacking when Thor arrived on the scene, and revealed his Minotaur form to Thor, explaining his plan to plunder the Earth and then move on to the other Realms. To Thor’s horror, Agger whipped up a media-storm against the Asgardians, blaming them for the Troll attack and insisting that the gods were not meant to live among men. Agger actually forced the Asgardians to abandon Earth, which he believed would leave the planet vulnerable. Fortunately, Jane became the Mighty Thor, and she took over Thor’s role as protector of Earth. She and Agger clashed many times, culminating in Aaron’s “War of the Realms” event.
Avengers: Endgame saw the surviving Asgardians settle upon Earth, albeit in Tønsberg, Norway, rather than Broxton, Oklahoma. That means there’s clear potential for Marvel to do a similar story, with both Thor Odinson and Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor caught in a conflict with Agger and Roxxon, and all Asgard paying the price as their war escalates.
Marvel Could Be Setting Up War Of The Realms
“War of the Realms” was the stunning conclusion to Jason Aaron’s Thor run, and it was the most ambitious and effective Thor event to date. It saw Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves, take advantage of Asgard’s weakness in order to launch a blitzkrieg across the Ten Realms. Every race either allied with him, or fell under the weight of his ever-growing forces. In the end, of course, Malekith’s attacks brought him to Midgard - Earth. Aware that Midgardian technology could be a problem, he forged a new alliance with Dario Agger, offering him all the other Realms to plunder if he would help disable the world’s communication systems. Agger was happy to oblige.
Marvel Studios always keeps a careful eye on the comics, and there’s no way an event of such magnitude as “War of the Realms” has escaped their notice. Of course, the studio would need to heavily adapt this story; they unfortunately used a version of Malekith in Thor: The Dark World, a rather ill-defined villain played by Christopher Eccleston, who was promptly killed off at the end of the film. But the overarching concept isn’t difficult to adapt, and Marvel could introduce Dario Agger in Thor 4 and position him for a similar role.
More: Every Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie
- Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange 2 Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08