Iron Man is an interesting character to watch evolve throughout the MCU. The importance of how good the effects work still looks shouldn’t be ignored. I’ve mentioned before how much easier it must have been for Marvel Studios to develop special effects for the Iron Man armor in the early days of the series, compared to creating more organic characters like the Hulk. It’s infectious despite how hypocritical and narcissistic Tony Stark is.Įven more exciting is seeing the evolution of the Iron Man armor itself.
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The courtroom scene in the film’s first act is quintessential Tony Stark, and even to this day, you can’t help but crack a smile at how much Robert Downey Jr. Marvel flaunts just how well it knows the character of Tony Stark. Its arrival in 2010 brought much excitement at seeing the charismatic hero return.
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The benefit of the MCU is that even in an overcrowded movie such as Iron Man 2, there are still a lot of things to love. It’s not until the MCU third phase of movies (from Captain America: Civil War to Spider-Man: Far from Home) that we get consistently good antagonists in these movies. In many ways, this is the start of Marvel's villain problem. Whiplash is regulated to another bad guy in a really big suit by the end of the film, and he has nothing important to say. In fact, their existence isn’t even on Tony’s radar until the final moments of the film, which is not something you notice the first time watching Iron Man 2.
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Unfortunately, his character isn’t given much room to breathe and neither is Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer. Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash has great motivation for a bad guy, and his connection to Stark makes him an interesting foil. With the villains, there are shades of great things. Not enough time is devoted to character development before the film moves on to SHIELD and beating the bad guys. Tony’s illness from the flawed arc reactor further reverts him to his irresponsible self. The simple fact is that the Iron Man armor is the greatest weapon created in the last century, and others will either want it or try to recreate it, both of which happen later on in the film. Tony’s ego and hubris stand in the way of him completely fulfilling that goal of building a better world, however. He even names Pepper Potts CEO of Stark Enterprises. His company has moved beyond weapons making and towards more altruistic means of profit. He acts as a hero to the world, going where he’s needed. The flawed hero trope rears its head again. Things you’re meant to notice, like Black Widow’s introduction, the reveal of Tony’s father as a founding member of Shield, and teases of events happening at the same time (Thor’s hammer, Cap’s shield, the Hulk rampage) take time away from the character’s own journey.īeneath this layer of Iron Man 2 is an interesting story. That point only becomes more apparent after repeat viewings. That meant teasing what’s next at the expense of the plot – and a lot of teasing it does. With Iron Man 2, the MCU had to prove that a shared universe was possible. It’s the catalyst that sets into motion the idea of a connected world. There is no movie more impactful to the MCU than the first Iron Man.