Behind-The-Scenes Facts From The Original 'Iron Man' Movie That Demand A Rewatch
- 122 VOTES
'Iron Man' Was Stan Winston's Last Film
Stan Winston was one of the most significant special effects and creature design artists of the 20th century, and even if you don't know his name, you definitely know his work. He was instrumental in creating the designs and special effects behind the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, the T-800 in The Terminator, the Predator, the "Dog Thing" from The Thing, Pumpkinhead, the robots in A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Universal's classic baddies in Monster Squad, Danny Devito's transformation into the Penguin in Batman Returns, and so much more.
The legendary SFX artist's last film was Iron Man, and it represented one of his biggest challenges. Not only did he have to create the cinematic look for a character who'd previously been either animated or illustrated, but he had to create a practical suit that offered a full range of motion, yet wasn't too heavy or difficult to get in and out of when nature called. Winston and his studio put in a lot of work to create the suit, which most viewers probably thought was too realistic not to be CGI. The film's executive producer, Louis D'Esposito, summed up its creation rather well:
The finished Mark III armor was the culmination of a truly collaborative effort of many talented designers, technicians, craftsmen, and filmmakers. The Mark III suit is a life-size, three-dimensional prototype of something that you’ve only seen in a comic book until now. It is the comic book character come to life, which really is a testament to Marvel, Jon Favreau, Stan Winston Studio, and all of the incredibly talented people on the production team that helped conceive, design, and build this iconic Iron Man armor.
- 254 VOTES
Jon Favreau Insisted On Casting Robert Downey Jr. Over Studio Objections
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When Iron Man was making its way out of development hell and into the casting process, only one name was on director Jon Favreau's mind: Robert Downey Jr. Though he had a successful career in Hollywood dating back decades, in the years leading up to Iron Man, Downey's life was turbulent, to say the least. He had problems with using substances and alcohol, which landed him in trouble with the criminal justice system, and he hadn't been in any major motion pictures of note for years.
His issues with substances made him an insurance liability for the studio, and it sought to put more bankable stars like Tom Cruise into the role of Tony Stark. Ultimately, Favreau went to bat for Downey and insisted he be cast into the role.
As it happens, it was primarily because of Downey's issues that Favreau wanted him for the role:
The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic book character having trouble in high school or can't get the girl. Plus, he's simply one of the best actors around.
Favreau also said Downey could make Stark "a likable a**hole," which is a great way to describe Stark.
- 319 VOTES
A Finalized Script For 'Iron Man' Didn't Exist, So There's A Ton Of Improv
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Kicking off the MCU with Iron Man was difficult, and it wasn't handled in as professional a manner as most film productions. The script had yet to be completed when shooting began, which created significant problems for the actors and crew. Jeff Bridges explained this in an interview with InContention:
They had no script, man. They had an outline. We would show up for big scenes every day, and we wouldn't know what we were going to say. We would have to go into our trailer and work on this scene and call up writers on the phone, "You got any ideas?" Meanwhile, the crew is tapping their foot on the stage waiting for us to come on.
As a result, a lot of the movie has improvised scenes in it. Robert Downey Jr. and Bridges would act out the scenes during primitive rehearsals, switching characters to help one another out, and Bridges credits this with saving the production:
You've got the suits from Marvel in the trailer with us saying, "No, you wouldn't say that." You would think with a $200 million movie, you'd have the sh*t together, but it was just the opposite. And the reason for that is because they get ahead of themselves. They have a release date before the script, "Oh, we'll have the script before that time," and they don't have their sh*t together.
- 419 VOTES
Ray's Pizza Got A Mention Because Of Jon Favreau
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In Iron Man, there's a scene where Obadiah Stane returns from New York City with some Ray's Pizza. It's clear Tony Stark recognizes how good the pizza is, so he manages to get his hands on a slice or two. Most people wouldn't think much of the pizza beyond its importance to the scene, but there's a reason Iron Man features Ray's Pizza, and that reason is Jon Favreau.
Favreau loves Ray's Pizza because he's featured or mentioned it in more than one movie. There's a scene in Elf when Santa Claus tells Buddy where to go to get the best slices of pizza, and he was talking about "Original Ray's." Favreau is a well-known foodie, and he loves to cook. He even made a movie about it called Chef, and it's worth checking out.
Favreau recognizes his love for food in his movies, and he spoke about it on The Dinner Party Download podcast, saying:
Yeah, well, more than two! I mean, people are constantly eating [in my movies], I'm sort of noticing. In Elf, I added that whole wrinkle, as I was developing that script, about him stuffing his face and how much elves eat. And then in Iron Man, he's talking about flying Ray's Pizza in from New York. It always seems to sneak into everything I do.
- 548 VOTES
There's A Reason Tony Stark Eats Burger King Upon Returning To The States
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In Iron Man, when Tony Stark returns to the States after his ordeal in Afghanistan, he asks for a hamburger (instead of a hospital). When he arrives for his press conference, Obadiah Stane hands him a Burger King bag, and he happily eats its contents through to the next scene. Most people probably saw the BK bag and logo and thought it was simply product placement, but that's not the case. Robert Downey Jr. wanted to use BK for the scene because the restaurant personally means a lot to him.
In an interview with the New York Daily News, Downey said he was once driving a car with "tons of f*cking dope" and decided to stop off for a burger. He pulled into BK and had an epiphany. As he explained to the Daily News, "It was such a disgusting burger I ordered. I had that, and this big soda, and I thought something really bad was going to happen." Calling it a moment of clarity, Downey tossed all of his substances into the ocean and decided to get sober. Having an "American cheeseburger" from BK in Iron Man was his way of saying "thanks" to the restaurant that saved his life.
- 628 VOTES
Clark Gregg's Part Was Originally Unnamed And Much Smaller
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One of the best new characters introduced in Iron Man is arguably Clark Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson. Not only did he play an essential role in the movie, but he was featured throughout MCU's Phase 1. He later landed the lead on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and reprised his role once more (with a bit of de-aging VFX trickery) in Captain Marvel. It's safe to say Coulson is an integral part of the MCU as a whole, but he almost wasn't.
Gregg's role was initially planned to be much smaller, and his character was named simply "Agent" in the script. As filming kicked off, Gregg's chemistry with the other actors on set pushed the filmmakers to throw him into more scenes. He was given a name and became the connection between Tony Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D., which was always going to happen. Still, once Gregg's lines and scenes were beefed up, the connection came with some charisma and personality, which not only kept Coulson in the MCU but also landed him in Marvel Comics as well.
Gregg explained to CinemaBlend how his character evolved during a press event for Captain Marvel:
Agent Coulson was a small role, was two scenes, if anything. And they liked something about that repartee. They liked something about having the S.H.I.E.L.D. presence being there, and all of a sudden, they added seven more scenes! Next thing I know, Pepper Potts is going, "Thank you, Agent Coulson."
And I was like, "I've got a name now; this is cool."
- 726 VOTES
Jon Favreau Lost 70 Lbs. In Preparation And Celebration For Landing The Gig
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As he was approaching his 40th birthday, Jon Favreau was getting close to 300 lbs. He decided he needed a change. He was also on tap to direct the upcoming Iron Man movie, where he would play Happy Hogan, so he had a few reasons to shed some weight. His wife, Joya Tillem, is a doctor, so he spoke to her one day about it and recounted their conversation in an interview with People:
I finally said to her one day, "I think at my age" - I was pushing 40 at the time - "that this is not the weight my body wants to be."
And she said, "Well, you can lose weight." I went to Joya because she has always been my partner.
To get to the weight his body wanted to be, he worked hard and lost an average of 5 lbs. every week. He dropped all the way down from 290 to 205, making his total weight loss an impressive 85 lbs.
- 825 VOTES
'Iron Man' Has A Connection To 'A Christmas Story'
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There's little doubt people watched Iron Man and thought it had a connection to A Christmas Story. After all, the two movies couldn't be any less alike, and while that's true, there is indeed a connection. In the picture above, Jeff Bridges's Obadiah Stane chastises one of Stark Industries' lead scientists over the arc reactor. He wanted him to miniaturize the device so it could power his Iron Monger suit of armor, and the scientist explains he's not Tony Stark.
That scientist's name is William Ginter Riva, and he reappeared in Spider-Man: Far From Home. While it's not easy to recognize who he is, the man playing him is Peter Billingsley, who played Ralph in A Christmas Story. Now, just casting the man in a small role doesn't truly connect the two films, but the fact Billingsley executive produced Iron Man is enough of a connection. Not only that, but it's one of several Jon Favreau films to feature the actor/producer. He played an Elf in Elf, too!
- 924 VOTES
Robert Downey Jr. Improvised The Twist Ending In 'Iron Man'
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The "I am Iron Man" line is easily one of the most important pieces of dialogue in the MCU. It concluded the first film in the franchise, and when the third phase came to an end with Avengers: Endgame, it was repeated to widespread applause. Interestingly, the line wasn't in the original script... granted, most of the script was unwritten when shooting began, but Tony Stark was never meant to look directly into the camera and say that. When Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige heard it, he absolutely loved it:
It’s a fine line. If you’re changing something for no reason, that’s one thing, but if you’re changing something because you want to double down on the spirit of who the character is? That’s a change we’ll make. Tony Stark not reading off the card and not sticking with the fixed story? Him just blurting out, "I am Iron Man"? That seems very much in keeping with who that character is.
Feige and Jon Favreau decided to keep the line in the film's final cut, and it went a long way in shaping the eventual outcome of the MCU's first massive saga. Robert Downey Jr. is notorious for improvising his character's actions and lines on set, and this was only one example of his doing that. Still, it's easily the most important because it perfectly encapsulates the character. It was arguably the most important single line of dialogue from throughout the first three phases of the MCU, and the way it closes out Endgame is the best way to say goodbye to this beloved character.
- 1022 VOTES
'Iron Man' Was In Development Hell For Decades
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Iron Man famously kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the making of the movie isn't a simple story of a script getting picked up and developed over the course of a year or two. In reality, Marvel wanted to make an Iron Man movie as far back as 1990. Universal Pictures came on board to make that happen, but the project sat around for a while with nothing substantive being done.
Universal opted to sell the rights to 20th Century Fox. Ultimately, Fox didn't produce the movie, so it sold the rights to New Line Cinema. Eventually, the rights returned to Marvel, so Marvel Studios was created to make the film happen. The studio produced it, and Paramount Pictures signed on to distribute.
- 1121 VOTES
It's Technically An Independent Film
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Today, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the largest and most successful film franchise in history. It's made more money than all of the competition, and there's a reason for that - the fans love the movies. Looking at the movies today vs. the ones that came out in the beginning, you'll notice a few key differences. Since Disney purchased Marvel Comics and its associated properties, Disney has been the studio powerhouse behind the MCU.
Before that happened, Marvel Comics founded Marvel Studios as an independent film studio. The sole purpose of the studio was to develop movies based on Marvel's characters, and it began with Iron Man. While the film was picked up for distribution by Paramount Pictures, it was developed independently from a small studio; thus, it's technically an independent movie. Despite this, the film was shot on a $140 million budget, so it certainly had an advantage over most indie films.
- 1218 VOTES
Paul Bettany Never Received A Full Script For 'Iron Man'
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Paul Bettany may have voiced J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man, but he believed his career was at an end after the first Avengers film. He said as much to his agent, but then he was cast to play Vision, and the rest is history. One of the reasons he may have thought his career was ending could have been due to his early interactions with Marvel Studios. When he was cast to voice J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man, he wasn't even given a full copy of the script, and he recorded all of his lines in just two hours:
I feel like a pirate. This is robbery. I walk in, I say some lines on a piece of paper for two hours, and then they give me a bag of money and I leave and I go about my day. I sort of feel guilty, because at least acting can be exhausting with long hours, but I do nothing!
That's hardly a significant investment of time, so it makes sense he didn't fully appreciate his performance's impact on the movie. Interestingly, Bettany hasn't received a full script for any of the Iron Man films. The only full script he's received from the studio was the one for The Avengers, which he thought to be a mistake. Marvel Studios is famously secretive about the various plot elements from its movies, so delivering complete scripts isn't common for all cast members. In addition to missing out on the script, Bettany hasn't watched a single Iron Man film, and he reportedly "knows nothing" about the series.
- 1318 VOTES
The Movie Is Set (Mostly) In California To Avoid The Superhero New York City Cliché
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If you think of Marvel Comics' superheroes, it's hard to imagine them anywhere outside of New York City. That's where Timely and Marvel Comics headquarters is, so it makes sense the company's writers and artists opted to use a familiar setting. Add to that the fact NYC is relatively huge and densely packed when compared to other American cities, and it all makes sense. Even in the comics, Iron Man is based out of the Big Apple, but in the MCU, he called the West Coast his home.
This is because Jon Favreau didn't want to simply repeat the cliché of dropping all superheroes in New York. Instead, he looked west and planted Tony Stark as far from the East Coast as possible. This kept the character fresh, and it also altered the movie version from the comic book version, if only a little bit. For the most part, the setting was refreshing, as it wasn't the same old thing fans saw for decades in the comics - it was something new.
- 1417 VOTES
A Legit Paparazzi Shot Of Iron Man Made It Into The Final Cut Of 'Iron Man'
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An interesting little Easter egg made it into Iron Man that hardly anyone knew about when the film was first released in 2008. In the pictured scene, Tony Stark is reading a paper just before his big press conference, where he announces to the world that "I am Iron Man."
On the front of the paper is a photograph of Iron Man with the headline "WHO IS THE IRON MAN?" For most viewers, it probably appeared like a perfect transition between Stark's last few scenes in the movie, but it's more than that - the picture is a legit paparazzi shot.
When the movie was still filming, a photographer managed to score a grainy shot of Iron Man, so that's a legit photo of Iron Man on the set of Iron Man. Back then, Jon Favreau didn't have confidence in using CGI to render the suit, so they built a practical one for the film. It's unclear if Robert Downey Jr. is in the suit (instead of a stunt double), but the picture is real, and it made it into the movie.
- 1514 VOTES
Jon Favreau's Original Plan Was To Use The Mandarin (The Real Mandarin) In 'Iron Man'
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As is relatively common these days, movies are often thought of as part of a potential trilogy when they're being developed. This leaves room for making a couple of sequels if the movie does well, and if it doesn't, the first film remains a standalone story. When Jon Favreau began working on his early draft concept for Iron Man, he followed this practice, hoping he would be able to make an Iron Man trilogy, and in the beginning, his villains were very different.
The Mandarin is Iron Man's nemesis in much the same way the Joker is Batman's biggest bad guy, so Favreau wanted to make him the big bad of the first film. He set up Obadiah Stane as Tony Stark's closest confidant in the first movie and gradually revealed him to be the villain of the second film instead of the first.
The Mandarin would have been presented in the first film as a legit character - with the fantastical elements of his comic book counterpart toned down, and the Ten Rings was to be his supporting organization. Ultimately, the Ten Rings became this in Shang-Chi, but that was years after the first Iron Man movie hit theaters.
