- This article is about the first film. For the character, see Tony Stark.
Iron Man is a 2008 film and the first in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase One. The film was a financial and critical success, leading to two sequels, as well as the beginning of a shared film universe, culminating in The Avengers, the first big crossover of 2012. It was produced by Marvel Studios and Fairview Entertainment, and distributed by Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment. The film was directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay written by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway. Iron Man 2 followed in 2010.
In 2009, The Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Entertainment, although this didn't affect the distribution rights of Iron Man in the home video market until July 2013.
Release dates[]
- Sydney, Australia: April 14, 2008
- United States: May 2, 2008
Briefing[]
Weapons developer, Tony Stark, is held prisoner by terrorists in an Afghan cave to build an arc reactor. Badly wounded with a piece of shrapnel embedded in his heart, he uses the arc reactor to keep himself alive, instead, while also using it to power a metal suit, which he uses to escape. He then uses an advanced model of the suit to take revenge against the captors as Iron Man.
Debriefing[]
Cast[]
Main[]
- Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and CEO of Stark Industries, who uses his company's resources to build himself a suit of armor, dubbed "Iron Man," to fight back against his captors, the Ten Rings.
- Terrence Howard as Lt. Col. James Rhodes, the best friend of Stark who acts as a liaison between the United States Air Force and Stark Industries, specifically in weapons development.
- Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, who starts an aggressive campaign against Stark in taking over the company, beginning with his captivity by the Ten Rings. He has Stark Industries' scientists build him a giant suit, unofficially dubbed "Iron Monger," to combat Tony.
- Shaun Toub as Ho Yinsen, Stark's fellow captive, who grafts a electromagnet to his chest in order to keep shrapnel away from his heart and killing him, and assisting him in building the first Iron Man suit.
- Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Stark's personal assistant and budding love interest.
Supporting[]
- Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Stark's bodyguard and chauffer.
- Paul Bettany as the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark's personal A.I. system that runs through his Malibu mansion and suit.
- Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart, a reporter from Vanity Fair, who has a one night stand with Stark.
- Faran Tahir as Raza, the leader of the Ten Rings.
- Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Bill Smitrovich as Maj. Gen. William Gabriel, Rhodes's superior.
- Sayed Badreya as Abu Bakaar, a Ten Rings terrorist.
- Peter Billingsley as William Ginter Riva, a Stark Industries aligned with Obadiah Stane.
- Tim Guinee as Major Allen, an ally of Rhodes.
- Will Lyman as awards ceremony narrator.
- Gerard Sanders as Howard Stark, Tony's late father.
- Tom Morello as guard
- Marco Khan as guard
- Daston Kalili as guard
- Idd Ezra as guard
- Kevin Foster as Jimmy, a soldier ambushed and killed by the Ten Rings
- Garrett Noel as Pratt, soldier ambushed and killed by the Ten Rings
- Eileen Weisinger as Ramirez, soldier ambushed and killed by the Ten Rings
- Robert Berkman as dealer at craps table
- Stacy Stas as woman at craps table
- Lauren Scyphers as woman at craps table
- Hal Burton as Caesar actor
- Unknown as General Sullivian
- Tim Rigby as viper 1
- Russell Richardson as viper 2
- Nazanin Boniadi as Amira Ahmed, a reporter.
- Ahmed Ahmed as Ahmed, a Ten Rings terrorist.
- Fahim Fazli as Omar, a Ten Rings terrorist.
- Thomas Craig Plumer as Colonel Craig.
- Dr. Frank Nyi as engineer.
- Marvin Jordan as Air Force officer.
- Jim Cramer as himself.
- Unknown as David Owens, a CAOC analyst.
- Unknown as Olsen, a CAOC analyst.
- Unknown as Ramirez, a firefighter.
- Unknown as bartender 1.
- Unknown as bartender 2.
- Unknown as Ronald Coultrap.
- Donna Evans Merlo as woman in SUV.
- Reid Harper as kid in SUV.
- Summer Kylie Remington as kid in SUV.
- Ava Rose Williams as kid in SUV.
- Vladimir Kubr as kid in SUV.
- Callie Marie Croughwell kid in SUV.
- Javan Kahir as Gulmira kid.
- Sahar Bibiyan as Gulmira mom.
- Patrick O'Connell as reporter.
- Adam Harrington as reporter.
- Meera Simhan as reporter.
- Ben Newmark as reporter.
- Ricki Ndel Lander as flight attendant.
- Jeannine Kaspar as Trixie, a flight attendant.
- Sarah Cahill as flight attendant.
- Stan Lee as Hugh Hefner look-a-like.
- Lana Kinnear as Stan's girl.
- Nicole Lindebland as Stan's girl.
- Masha Lund as Stan's girl.
- Gabrielle Tuitte as Stan's girl.
- Justin Rex as Air Force lieutenant.
- Zorianna Kit as herself.
- Tim Griffin as CAOC analyst.
- Joshua Harto as CAOC analyst.
- Micah Hauptman as Lieutenant Lacy, a CAOC analyst.
- James Bethea as Taylor, a COAC analyst.
- Sylvette Ortiz as Sergeant Llian, a CAOC analyst.
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mentioned-only characters[]
Production[]
Notes[]
- Although Yinsen died in this film, he returns for a flashback in the opening scene of Iron Man 3. The Iron Monger also appears in one of the montage clips during the closing credits.
- Samuel L. Jackson is uncredited as Nick Fury.
- Terrence Howard did not return for the next film; he was replaced by Don Cheadle.
- The Iron Man stunt doubles were Mike Justus, Oakley Lehman, Daniel Stevens, and Richard Cetrone.
- The Obadiah Stane stunt doubles were Lloyd Catlett and Vince Deadrick, Jr.
- The Tony Stark stunt double was Greg Fitzpatrick.
- The film is set in 2008, although Iron Man 2 retcons it to happen in 2009, with the latter taking place six months later in 2010.
Trivia[]
- This film is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
- Rhodes is credited as Rhodey.
- Lieutenant Lacy is simply credited as "CAOC analyst."
- The movie is parodied in the Robot Chicken episodes "I'm Trapped" and "Tell My Mom." In the first episode, Dick Cheney is injured and caught by the Ten Rings and sent to the same cave as Tony Stark. Stark already has the Mark I ready, which Cheney steals to escape. The post-credits scene of the second episode mirrors the post-credits scene of the movie, only Fury is a distraction for his burgling partner to steal Stark's TV.
- In the The Venture Bros. episode "Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel", Brock goes to a doctor to get HELPeR.'s head removed from his chest, to which the doctor believes Brock was following a trend, as he's implanted a lot of "robot hearts" since Iron Man came out.
Cultural references[]
- Tony attended MIT.
- Obadiah appears on the cover of Newsweek, while Tony appears on Wired, Popular Mechanics (with Howard), MIT Technology Review, Forbes (with Obadiah), and Rolling Stone. The covers Tony were on were collected by Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2.
- Howard's death was reported on the front page of The Washington Times.
- Tony has take-out from Burger King on his way to his first press conference since coming back from being a prisoner.
- Stan Lee, who plays a pastiche of himself, is mistaken by Tony as Playboy publisher, Hugh Hefner.
- In the film The Martian, Matt Damon's character says he gets to be Iron Man while using his space suit to fly.
See also[]
External links[]
- TBA