MCU: All 6 Marvel Phase 2 movies ranked from worst to best
3. Iron Man 3
After Iron Man 2 failed to be a critical success it was clear Iron Man 3 needed to make something different if it wanted to win over audiences again. Shane Black knew this and came up with the perfect solution when directing and co-writing the movie. Tony Stark was removed from his armor during most of the film, allowing moviegoers to understand he’s just a human that’s trying to fight a war in a world where aliens and gods exist. This wasn’t an Iron Man movie, it was a Tony Stark film.
Iron Man 3 did a terrific job at dealing with the aftermath of The Avengers. Even though the world was saved, Tony knew there was someone up in space waiting for the perfect moment to attack again. This pressure got the best of the billionaire as he began to deal with post-traumatic stress, something that affected him during most of the film. This is probably the most vulnerable and human we’ve ever seen Tony Stark be on the big screen. It added depth to an already loved character and made us empathize more with him, something that greatly elevated the movie.
However, Iron Man 3‘s biggest weakness back when it was released was its Mandarin twist. Many fans (including myself) were completely disappointed to learn that the Mandarin was nothing but a paid actor whose only purpose was to give the media a villain to target. If you watch Iron Man 3 now, knowing that the real Mandarin would eventually appear in Shang Chi, it’s easy to look past this twist. But back in the day, it was something that completely killed the experience for many. It’s a shame the movie wasn’t clear about its antagonist from the very beginning as Iron Man 3 is remembered as a waste for some when in reality it’s fantastic.
The scene where Iron Man has to save people falling from an airplane keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. The final battle was also amazing, as we got to see hundreds of Iron Man armors fight against an army of super soldiers. Finally, Iron Man 3 stripped away Tony from almost everything he had, allowing him to feel like a renewed character once Avengers: Age of Ultron was released. For this reason, Iron Man 3 is better than most projects in Phase 2 of the MCU, and an adventure worthy of rewatching time and time again.