The summer of 2008 was a spectacular one for superhero films. Both Iron Man and The Dark Knight came out. The Dark Knight is, of course, a juggernaut. It’s widely regarded as the best comic book film of all time. The first Iron Man may not reach that level, but, man, it’s great. If The Dark Knight is serious ass-kicker Thor, then Iron Man is his trickster brother Loki. The film is snarky and fun and such a great contrast to just how ultra serious The Dark Knight is.

Robert Downey, Jr. was regarded as a risky pick for Tony Stark when he was initially cast to play Marvel’s signature billionaire. The character was basically unknown to the public before 2008. Man, SHIT HAS CHANGED. Iron Man simultaneously kick-started the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and enabled comic book movies to have a lighter tone. 

Comic books are largely silly concepts. People in colorful outfits with extraordinary abilities saving the world on a monthly basis. Elevating the concepts to SERIOUS STUFF is used to counterbalance the inherent silliness, but it often goes too far in the other direction. Iron Man balances this in a way that would become a mission statement for the MCU.

One of the key moments I think of when I recollect Iron Man is when Obadiah Stane is checking in with his employees on the progress of his Iron Monger suit. “Tony Stark built this in a cave…with SCRAPS!” is a terrific villain rant. It’s a ridiculous concept, that this inventor CEO gets his heart damaged in an attack, is locked up in a cave to build weapons, and instead builds a powerful suit of armor with the help of his fellow scientist that is locked up with him. Yet, it works incredibly well. Iron Man doesn’t shit all over its comic book roots, and that’s important. 

Even with the respect for the source material, the grounded sci-fi elements of Iron Man really helped the film in 2008. Jon Favreau and his crew did such a good job in making the audience believe that this was a plausible story. The legendary Stan Winston went out there and built a physical Iron Man suit that looked like it came right out of the Warren Ellis / Adi Granov “Extremis” storyline. This physical suit and these practical effects help this movie still look good twelve years later. 

As good as all of this is, Iron Man doesn’t take off without the performance of Robert Downey, Jr. He is the factor that elevated Iron Man from a character well-known to comic book fans but not-so-much to the public at large, to a character mourned by half the world when he sacrificed himself in Avengers: Endgame. Downey’s Tony Stark is charming, snarky, smart, suave, arrogant, and just a little bit goofy. Stark is a character who was previously best known for being a recovering alcoholic. Downey’s Stark is the smartest man in every room and he wants everyone to know it. The press conference scene where Stark shows up with a burger and makes the press sit down with him is such a great example of why this character is so memorable. Tony Stark is flying by the seat of his pants and making everyone chase him. No one knows where is going next, but they sure as shit are going to follow him on that journey. Downey brings wit, soul, gravitas, and a ton of charming snark to the role. I really can’t see anyone else being a better Tony Stark than Robert Downey, Jr.

Iron Man was just the beginning of the MCU, and what a beginning it is.

Notes

• Love that Jeff Bridges really wanted to wear the Iron Monger suit. He mentions in one of the features under the extras that he was initially disappointed when the plan was to have The Mandarin as the main villain in the first Iron Man with Stane remaining a businessman. 
• I am so glad that they didn’t tackle The Mandarin in Iron Man. The story tackling terrorism against Americans being funded by an American company was timely in 2008 and really helps the story focus on Tony Stark realizing that he needs to change the direction of his life and company. It also lets Jeff Bridges shine as Obadiah Stane. He’s so good playing off of Robert Downey, Jr. He’s a perfect menacing uncle. Very Shakespearean, 
• The MySpace reference was dated before the movie hit DVD. Not to say that as a fault of the movie, but rather speaking to just how quickly MySpace died.
• One of my favorite touches in the film is the casino music early on playing the 1960s Iron Man cartoon theme song.

Up Next: Iron Man 2