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Now that the world knows that billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man, Tony seeks to underscore the benefits of the Iron Man suit by re-launching his late father's extravagant Stark Expo, a showcase for the humanitarian innovations inspired by its technology. As the U.S. government insists that Tony turn the revolutionary weapon over to the military, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a mysterious figure from the Stark family's past, sets out to destroy Tony by revealing his own devastating weapon based on Stark's technology.
Overwhelmed on all fronts, while also facing his own personal demons, Tony must finally call on his allies - old and new - to help him confront the gathering forces that threaten to destroy him and all of mankind.
Iron Man 2 is directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by Justin Theroux.
A TRUE ORIGINAL
One of the original Marvel Comics, Iron Man has enjoyed a long and prosperous run dating back to the character's first appearance in the Marvel comic Tales of Suspense in April 1963. Iron Man's alter ego, Tony Stark, became an overnight film sensation on May 2nd, 2008 when the film grossed $98.6 million in its opening weekend on its way to an eventual take of more than $572 million worldwide. Fans and critics of all ages were enamored with the red and gold super hero. The film received many awards and accolades, including two Academy Award® nominations, and "Iron Man" has since become part of the pop culture mainstream.
"We always want to stay true to the characters as written in the comics, but we also don't want to be afraid to take risks occasionally with our characters," notes Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios and producer of "Iron Man 2." "We believe our stories and characters are so strong that we can take chances. It was a risk to take a billionaire playboy and put him in an iron suit and have him fly around and save the world. That was not your typical story back in 1962, nor is it a typical story today. Those were factors that we knew we had to rise above and we couldn't have been prouder of the response that the fans had to the Iron Man character and film." "What triggered me to create a character like 'Iron Man' was that I wanted to see something different from the usual super hero," explains executive producer Stan Lee. "The character of Tony Stark is so glamorous, so successful, so virile, yet he has a very vulnerable side to him. When we first started writing and publishing the Iron Man comic books, we had more fan mail from females than any other comic book we had ever created. In those days, I think the women who read the comic books felt the same way about Tony Stark as the women who went to see the film and loved Robert Downey Jr. and the vulnerability that he brought to the character. People of all ages connect to the human side of this character." "The biggest compliment we received from people when the film came out was 'I don't usually like comic book movies like these, but I loved 'Iron Man'" says Feige. "I don't believe in 'A' tier, 'B' tier and 'C' tier characters; it's up to us to make all the Marvel characters into successful film franchises because in the comic book world they already enjoy that status. We were thrilled with the success of 'Iron Man' and that we were able to introduce the character in a way that was just as interesting and engaging outside of his costume as he was inside his suit of armor. That is a great compliment to Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau who were able to create a character who was an iconic film personality from the beginning of the film." The film's runaway worldwide box office and critical success even caught director Jon Favreau, and the outstanding cast of the film off-guard. "I think the first sense that we had something special was when we went on the international press tour and both the feedback and film reviews were extremely positive," recalls Favreau. "But it really didn't hit us until we went around to movie theaters on opening weekend and watched how well audiences were reacting to the film. It was inspiring and extremely gratifying to see Robert beat the odds and, with the success of the film, come back bigger and better than he was before. That's the ultimate success story and it was oddly parallel to the character of Tony Stark. Sometimes when art imitates life, you can really catch lightning in a bottle." "The reason I decided to do the first movie was because I always wanted to work with Robert and I love Jon Favreau," says Gwyneth Paltrow. "People initially questioned why I would be in a comic book film, but I thought it felt really natural and it was a great experience and so much fun. I was thrilled with the way it turned out, but I was a little taken aback by how big the film became. I don't normally do big action films, so it was really exciting the way fans responded to the film all over the world." "It really feels good when you speak to people on the street and they say, 'Iron Man's my favorite super hero because he feels like a real person,'" concludes executive producer Louis D'Esposito. "The film had great characters, a great story of redemption, and although there is tons of action and excitement, it felt like the super hero part was secondary, which really opened the film up to a much wider audience."
And much of that had to do with the delicate balance struck by the film, according to the film's star Robert Downey Jr. "I think the tone of 'Iron Man' was what made the movie a winner. There was this feeling that we took the subject matter seriously but didn't take ourselves too seriously. I remember even when I was testing for the film I knew it was really important for me to be able to demonstrate the sort of stoic and fiery side of Tony Stark, but to also be able to score with the humor."
PREPARING FOR A SEQUEL
With the worldwide success of "Iron Man" at the box office, director Favreau faced the inevitable challenge following up the beloved film with the second installment of the franchise.
"When we were shooting the first film, we weren't planning a sequel, but we were also aware that if things went well, there would be one; so we thought about what the big picture would be and what we were leading to in terms of story," Favreau observes. "The challenge in developing 'Iron Man 2' was how to stay true to what audiences enjoyed about the first film while at the same time raising the bar in every aspect - an interesting but sometimes difficult line to walk. If it gets too complicated, the sequel becomes overwrought and loses its light touch. But if you don't do anything more than you did the first time, it just feels like more of the same--so doing a sequel can be a mixed blessing."
"The great thing about having Jon Favreau back at the helm is that we have a fantastic rapport because we've been together now for almost four years thinking and talking about the world of Iron Man," says Feige. "We've developed a shorthand now, so most of the time we know what the other is thinking. Jon did an amazing job on the first film and we really followed his lead in terms of tone, texture and humor. When you see Tony Stark and his interaction as Iron Man, it is not just your hand-on-the-hip super hero. It is somebody who has wit and cynicism on one side and extreme optimism on the other; the character really is what he is because of two people, Jon Favreau and Robert Downey." Read more
SETTING THE TONE: FROM DAY ONE
Production on "Iron Man 2" began in Pasadena, California with Tony Stark testifying at a congressional Senate hearing. The filmmakers were thrilled to see Robert Downey Jr. return with his character's trademark swagger and biting wit.
"Robert always elevates the scene that is written on the page and makes it his own, but at the same time he keeps it tonally on point," says D'Esposito. "He also has a magnetic set presence and gave a rousing introduction for his cast mates and director to kick off the production. It really put everyone at ease and set the tone for the collaborative, energized atmosphere that we love to have on set. On our first two days of production we shot the Senate hearing scene, which kicked things off in a big way with almost the entire cast working and Tony going up against a panel of Senators who are not pleased with his reluctance to cooperate with the government." Read more
THE NEW ARMORS
After completing work at Edwards Air Force Base, the production returned to Marvel Studios where work began on the new armors for Iron Man. For the filmmakers, the overwhelming popularity of the Iron Man armors was bittersweet due to the passing of special effects makeup legend Stan Winston whose company created the iconic suits.
"I've worked with Stan Winston twice and we became close," says Favreau. "It was very sad when he passed away. When you saw how many big Hollywood people spoke at his memorial, you realized what an integral part of filmmaking he was in the technological revolution that has allowed movies to explode in terms of scale, scope and the ambition of what you can create on screen." Read more
"IRON MAN 2": GOING GLOBAL
The first sequence in which Rourke got to wear the new suit was during the production's re-creation of a portion of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. In the scene, Tony Stark's day of racing is violently derailed by the mysterious Whiplash. Read more
OFF TO THE RACES
The international setting of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix as the backdrop for one of the film's biggest set pieces was also an important aspect of the evolution of Tony Stark, who the world now knows is Iron Man.
"In this film it was important for us to showcase that Iron Man is a global super hero because he is in the comics," says Feige. "Spider-Man is very much focused in New York City and a lot of the Marvel characters are focused in certain regions, but Iron Man is absolutely worldwide. He can take off out of Malibu in the suit and be halfway around the world a few hours later." Read more
WAR MACHINE
Another addition that makes its first appearance in "Iron Man 2" is the highly anticipated emergence of the War Machine armor worn by Rhodey in the film.
"In this film, we knew that we wanted Rhodey to put on the Mark II, which would become the basis of the War Machine armor," says Favreau. "The tension between Rhodey and Tony builds and finally Rhodey realizes that he is being too good of a friend and not serving the greater good of his country. Tony is being irresponsible and it's dangerous. Rhodey feels like somebody is going to get hurt and that's when he takes the Mark II away from Tony. That action gave us the opportunity to unveil the gun-riddled version of the Iron Man suit that is War Machine." Read more
THAT'S (MARVEL) ENTERTAINMENT
With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel Entertainment, LLC is one of the world's preeminent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused on utilizing its character franchises in licensing, entertainment, publishing and toys. Marvel Entertainment's areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home videos, consumer products, video games, action figures and role-playing toys, television and promotions. Rooted in the creative success of over 60 years of comic book publishing, Marvel has successfully transformed its cornerstone comic book characters into blockbuster film franchises. Read more
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
(Director/Executive Producer) JON FAVREAU established himself as a writer of considerable talent with the acclaimed hipster comedy "Swingers." Since then, he has continued to challenge himself with a variety of eclectic projects.
Prior to "Iron Man 2," Favreau directed 2008's "Iron Man," "Zathura," a children's adventure film starring Tim Robbins for Radar Pictures and Sony Entertainment. Favreau directed the acclaimed holiday smash hit "Elf," starring Will Ferrell for New Line Cinema. Favreau made his feature film directorial debut with "Made," a script that he also wrote. He starred opposite Vince Vaughn for Artisan Entertainment. He is currently in preproduction for his next directorial effort "Cowboys and Aliens," for producers Steven Spielberg, Brian Grazer, and Ron Howard.
Favreau's acting credits include "Couples Retreat," "I Love You, Man," "Four Christmases," "The Break-Up," "Something's Gotta Give," "Wimbledon," "Daredevil," "Rocky Marciano," "Love and Sex," "The Replacements," "Very Bad Things," "Deep Impact," and "Rudy." Voiceover credits include "Clone Wars," "Zookeeper," and "G-Force."
Favreau's television credits include a recurring role on "Friends" and a special appearance on HBO's critically acclaimed "The Sopranos" playing himself. Favreau also added the title of show runner to his multi-hypenate list of credits as the creator, producer, and host of the critically acclaimed and Emmy nominated IFC series "Dinner for Five."
JUSTIN THEROUX (Screenplay by) made his screenwriting debut with the box office hit comedy "Tropic Thunder" starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr., who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the film. Theroux also served as executive producer on the film.
In addition to his screenwriting efforts, Theroux has many acting credits, which include "Miami Vice," "The Baxter," "Zoolander," Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," "Mullholland Dr.," "Duplex," "American Psycho" and "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."
On television, Theroux was a series regular on "Six Feet Under" and "The District." His other credits include "Alias," "Sex and the City," "Ally McBeal" and the miniseries "John Adams."
In 2007, Theroux made his directorial debut with the independent romantic comedy "Dedication" starring Tom Wilkinson and Billy Crudup.
STAN LEE (Executive Producer) is currently the Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at POW! Entertainment. The company was founded in 2001 and has over 40 movies, TV, DVD, video game and other projects in various stages of development.
Also the Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Comics, Lee is known to millions as the man whose super heroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry. Hundreds of legendary characters, including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, The Avengers, The Silver Surfer, Thor, and Dr. Strange all grew out of his fertile imagination. Read more
READ MORE ABOUT IRON MAN
THE ART OF SEQUELS
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