'Avengers: Endgame' theory explains the hidden meaning behind 'I love you 3000' line

Warning: this article contains major spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.

The sheer importance of the words "I am Iron Man" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be underestimated, but it's a tribute to Tony Stark's character development (as well as Robert Downey Jr's incredible work) over the years that his final words as the character were decidedly different.

Although Stark repeated his iconic phrase upon snapping his fingers to bring the film's action (and his own life) to a thrilling end, it was his hologram speech at his own funeral which was a reflection of how far Iron Man has come.

For a bit of a refresher, let us (once again) take a look at the trailer for Avengers: Endgame:

In an interesting bit of meta-commentary, Stark talks about the unbelievable twists and turns he and the rest of the Avengers have gone through over the year, before signing off for the last time by saying: "I love you 3,000."

At the time, it seemed to be a callback to an earlier moment in the film, where his daughter Morgan says the phrase to him as he tucks her into bed before embarking on an incredible time heist. But this Avengers theory suggests there's an even deeper meaning to the innocuous-seeming phrase.

At first glance, it seemed like the kind of thing a child would say to their parent, but a tweet suggests there's another, more mathematical reason involved. I don't know how @AshBoio figured this out, but check out this tweet:

That's right: when you add up all the run times of all the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as well as the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home), it ends up being a total of 2,998. So almost 3,000. Pretty cool if true, but I was not convinced. Until @AshBoio explains another line in the film.

"Y'see, right after he hears the line from his daughter, he goes straight to his wife Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) to tell her what happened. But then, mocking his wife, Stark says: "You were somewhere in the 600-900 range," he wrote.

Now, what could that mean? Well, maybe it's time to shed a tear for Marvel's cinematic rivals, the DC Extended Universe:

Whoa. Could it be true? We're trusting one guy's mathematical skills here, but that would be really interesting.

If you've seen Endgame (and if not, I'm sorry for ruining the film for you but you were warned), then you'll know the level of detail the creators went to in crafting the three-hour cinematic marvel (pun intended). So part of me doubts this is a coincidence, you know?

There you go. Another thing to appreciate about Avengers: Endgame.