Based on the Marvel Comics’ character of the same name, Jon Favreau’s 2008 Iron Man asks the audience to believe in the narcissistic yet winsome munitions manufacturer Tony Stark to save the world, and hopefully himself.
Described as a “billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” Stark was born into privilege and wealth. The brash Stark, portrayed brilliantly by Robert Downey, Jr., perhaps takes his position in life as the head of a multi-billion dollar weapons company for granted. That is until he’s kidnapped and nearly fatally injured.
His injury leads him to innovate new tech that could save his life and help the world…or destroy them both. What follows in the film and its sequels is a redemption arc that hearkens back to something of a golden age in comic book films, back in the good old days when a hero–albeit a flawed one–could drink bourbon in the middle of a war zone and yet still have room to grow.
Now that Tony Stark’s cinematic journey of self-discovery and redemption is complete, does the MCU’s surprise hit still feel fresh after 14 years?
Still Hot After All These Years
One thing is for sure about Favreau and Downey, Jr.’s version of Iron Man: It is more than a superhero movie. Instead of being simply a classic showdown of good vs. evil, Iron Man is also about resurrection, discovery, and repentance. It has a story and character arc so compelling that even now it can make a fan out of anyone who skipped the MCU’s opening act the first time around.
With theaters now flooded with superhero and comic book films, it’s easy to forget that it was Iron Man‘s success that paved the way for the Avengers films getting the green light. Given that, it’s unthinkable to consider that many in Hollywood didn’t think that a B-level character like Iron Man could launch a multi-billion dollar franchise. Back then, the superhero genre was already crowded, which likely led to a fair amount of skepticism that this character would have any pull on audiences.
And at that time, RDJ was only in the beginning stages of recovering from professional barriers stemming a very public drug problem. But Marvel took a chance on him during a transitional time in his career, playing a role in RDJ’s own road to redemption. And the result was that RDJ brought a captivating level of charisma to the role of Tony Stark that only he could.
The chance paid off, and many in Hollywood had to eat some humble pie as the film ultimately crushed the box office and set the tone for one of the most successful film franchises in history.
The Legacy of Iron Man
Response to the film and its sequels has been overwhelmingly positive, creating the type of brand loyalty that has given Disney and Marvel the flexibility and confidence to launch their streaming service and map out Marvel projects for the next decade.
One of those projects is Disney+’s Iron Heart which will carry forward the story of Tony Stark. Looking even further into the future, it’s possible fans may even see Tom Cruise take over as Iron Man after all, though nothing there is certain. What is certain is that the consequences of Iron Man will continue to ripple through the MCU for years to come. Four years after his death, his influence was still felt in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
And the armored avenger will always have a special place in his fans’ hearts, due almost entirely to RDJ’s performance. As a younger actor, RDJ seemed burdened by the weight of his own immense talent, a state of being that has driven many to self-sabotage and self-medicate. But out of the rubble of his own self-destruction, he re-emerged a fully realized version of himself capable of carrying around that weight.
Who else could portray a flawed man encumbered by his own hubris transformed by fate into a reluctant superhero besides a man who just endured a similar journey? Like the actor who portrayed him, Tony Stark never intended on becoming a role model, a hero, much less becoming the inspiration for a generation of new superheroes. Nonetheless, billions of dollars in box office revenue and just about as many Marvel films later, here we are.
Iron Man is streaming now on Amazon Prime and Disney+.
Discover more Throwback Thursday picks when you subscribe!