Taglines: Even heroes fall.
Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle.
With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
The Story (2013)
“The exciting thing about ‘Iron Man 3,’ is that it’s not only the culmination of the first two films, but it’s also a follow up to ‘Marvel’s The Avengers,’” says producer Kevin Feige. “It’s one of the first situations where you have a movie that is the sequel to two different films and in a way that liberates it to be more unique than anything that has come before it, which is what we’re most excited about.”
In the Marvel cinematic universe, all events that happen within each film have a direct influence and consequence in future films and franchises. For Tony Stark the events and encounters he faced in “Marvel’s The Avengers” may be behind him, but he is still working hard to balance the demands of his own personal life.
For the storyline of Marvel’s “Iron Man 3,” the filmmakers decided on a “back-to-basics” tone where they could explore what Tony Stark would do if all of his money and toys were stripped away from him and he was forced to find a way back to being a Super Hero.
“Early on in the development, we talked about this notion of taking Tony Stark back to basics because we wanted to see him just use his brain,” explains executive producer Louis D’ Esposito. “You want to see what he can do when the odds are against him and it makes you wonder, ‘How is he going to get out of this one?’”
Executive producer Stephen Broussard explains the filmmakers’ decision to blend two different storylines together for the film. “There are two classic stories that have appeared in the ‘Iron Man’ comics–one is older and the other is more modern,” explains Broussard. “The older is the character called The Mandarin, and he is one of the most famous villains in the franchise. The character dates back to the 1960s and we wanted Shane [Black] and Drew [Pearce] to take that idea and contemporize it for present-day audiences.”
Broussard adds, “We also wanted to combine that with another storyline in the comic called Extremis, which came out not too long before the first ‘Iron Man’ film in 2008. It deals with the biological enhancement of humans and Tony must face super-powered humans in that. So we just thought, wouldn’t that be interesting if we tried to combine these two stories into one for ‘Iron Man 3′?”
An early believer in the Extremis story line, Downey Jr. says, “I remember when we were getting ready to shoot ‘Iron Man,’ I started reading ‘Iron Man’ comics and there was this one called ‘Extremis,’ and I thought it was really interesting and cool.”
“The thing about the Extremis storyline that always interested me in the comic books was that you had a sense that Tony Stark puts on an iron suit and hides inside it in a way,” says director Shane Black. “The character wouldn’t call it that, but that’s kind of the case. With the Extremis people, you always got a sense that they’re burning up from the inside. So one of them could actually say to Tony for instance, ‘you drive a car, I am the car.’”
There is plenty of angst from “Marvel’s The Avengers” to fuel Tony Stark’s arc too. Before “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Tony Stark thought he was the only Super Hero in the world, and in “Iron Man 3″ he must deal with the revelation that he is not the only one out there. As Kevin Feige explains, “In ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ he faces a world-changing event that not only includes seeing the powers of other Super Heroes, but also having a portal to another world opened above his head.”
For Robert Downey Jr. the journey of Tony Stark in the “Iron Man” franchise is one that is very relatable to audiences. “The great thing about ‘Iron Man 3′ is that we really are going back to kind of an extension and continuation of some of the things that made the franchise fly to begin with,” says Downey. “With the execution and incredible success of ‘Marvel’s The Avengers,’ we’re afforded the opportunity to not have to set up another film and can really explore the character of Tony Stark in ways that are very organic and connectable and play to the strength of the franchise.”
Director on Board (2013)
While Downey and Marvel were both on board for the third installment of the franchise, one of the big questions that needed to be answered was who was going to take over the directorial reigns from Jon Favreau, the director who put the “Iron Man” franchise on the map and delivered two worldwide blockbuster hits.
“All of our films are defined by the filmmakers we collaborate with to bring these stories to the big screen,” says producer Feige. “What Jon Favreau was able to do on the first two films was groundbreaking and astounding. So, when we realized we needed to bring in a new director, it was a daunting task. We needed somebody who had the experience, taste and ability to make a big action movie, but was grounded at the same time.”
The filmmakers turned to Shane Black, who serendipitously directed Robert Downey Jr. in “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” the film that was a big factor in propelling the actor into the running for the role of Tony Stark in “Iron Man.”
For Downey, hiring Black to write and direct the film brought the franchise full circle and was a little bit of karmic payback for the director’s behind-the-scenes help on “Iron Man.” “During the preproduction of ‘Iron Man,’ Jon Favreau and I used to call Shane and ask him for advice about scenes and he would give us these metaphors and sometimes direct comments, but it was always great advice and he would never take a penny for it –although he did once asked for a piece of well-done salmon and some blueberries,” laughs Robert Downey Jr. “Shane has been so instrumental in shaping the buddy comedy/action genre and I was delighted when Marvel brought his name up and obviously very much in favor of him directing ‘Iron Man 3.’”
For director Shane Black, a lifelong “Iron Man” fan and self-proclaimed fan boy, reteaming with Robert Downey Jr. was one opportunity that he couldn’t pass up. “Having the opportunity to direct and write ‘Iron Man 3,’ was just the greatest opportunity, and Robert always seems to elevate the material–that’s what’s great about him,” says Black.
“We wanted ‘Iron Man 3′ to have a fresh tone and Shane Black has an incredibly unique style to his writing,” concludes producer Louis D’ Esposito. “He does action very well, but he also does twisted black comedy with heart and emotion very well too. What’s amazing about Shane is he finds ways to do all that in one scene. It’s always been his trademark that his scripts are kind of quirky and off-kilter, but with big emotion and a lot of heart.”
The “Iron Man 3″ Experience (2013)
Reflecting on the journey of making Marvel’s “Iron Man 3,” Gwyneth Paltrow says, “I think this movie ends in a really unexpected way and there’s so much heart to it. It’s about discovering yourself and what’s really important. And, of course, it’s done with all the fireworks and action and excitement, but there’s real heart underneath it.”
“The most gratifying part of the journey thus far at Marvel Studios is seeing the way worldwide global movie audiences respond to these films,” says Kevin Feige. “I think people like the notion of going to see a film that fits into a broader mythological framework and ‘Iron Man 3′ continues that tradition. I think audiences will be satisfied when they see what Tony Stark has been up to.”
Sums up Robert Downey Jr., “In a way, this is the holiday season for us all as far as the ‘Iron Man’ of it all. If it never gets any better than this, I think we’ll be satisfied because this might be our best effort yet.”
Iron Man 3
Directed by: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley
Screenplay by: Drew Pearce, Shane Black, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Production Design by: Bill Brzeski
Cinematography by: John Toll
Film Editing by: Peter S. Elliot, Jeffrey Ford
Costume Design by: Louise Frogley
Set Decoration by: Danielle Berman
Music by: Brian Tyler
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content.
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: May 3, 2013
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