100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of Marvel Studios
#15. Iron Man
Medium
Live-Action Feature Film
Release Dates
April 14, 2008 (Sydney)
May 2, 2008 (United States)
Credits
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway
Cast: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Terrence Howard as James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, Shawn Toub as Yinsen, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Faran Tahir as Raza, Paul Bettany as The Voice of JARVIS, Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart, Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
The Reason It’s Great
It was the one that started it all—Iron Man. The film starred Robert Downey Jr., who was still making his comeback into Hollywood. Small clues here and there were placed, but fans were still unaware that this film would be the inaugeral installment that would kick off the ridiculously successful Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Tony Stark is an egotistical, self-absorbed, genius, billionaire weapons manufacturer. When he’s caught by the Ten Rings and forced to create a weapon for them, he’s given a second chance by Yinsen, a doctor imprisoned with him. Using armor containing state-of-the-art technology, Tony embraces his new mission as a protector.
Little did Tony know, Obidiah Stane (Tony’s father’s friend and business partner) planned his abduction by the Ten Rings. Stane wanted control of Stark International, thinking that Tony was a spoiled child who didn’t deserve the fortune and power that came from such a company.
Iron Man had a semi-quiet release, but quickly garnered critical acclaim and outperformed all box-office expecations. The film was lauded for its strong character arc and Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic portrayal. To this day, Iron Man is still noted as one of the strongest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.