Iron Man 2 promises more heroes, villains
SAN DIEGO – Sequels often promise bigger, faster, more. “Iron Man 2? is no exception, offering an introduction of even more heroes and villains from the pages of Marvel Comics. But, star Robert Downey Jr. says, the filmmakers also wanted the story to be a logical outgrowth of the events of the first film.
“We … tore our eyebrows out to try to find the best way to express the complexities of what really would happen (in this film),” Downey said. The filmmakers, including Downey and director Jon Favreau, wanted a realistic emotional take on what would happen to Tony Stark.
Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark.
“No sooner has he said, ‘I am Iron Man,’ than he is wondering what that means. And if you have all this cushion, like he does, and the public is on your side, and you have immense wealth and power, I think he’s way too insulated to be OK.”
Downey certainly had the public on his side at his recent Comic-Con International appearance, where about five minutes of footage from the “Iron Man” sequel were played for several thousand screaming fans.
When Downey appeared at Comic-Con two years ago to promote the first “Iron Man,” the character was a lesser-known Marvel Comics character to the general public. Now, “Iron Man 2? is a hotly anticipated sequel that was many comic fans’ most anticipated panel of the convention.
“It all started here,” Favreau told the Comic-Con crowd, after walking out to riotous cheers as the song “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath played.
“Nobody cared before you guys did.”
Robert Downey Jr. at Comic-Con International (AP)
Fans got a look at Nick Fury, director of a shadowy government agency, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, who appeared in the after-credits sequence of “Iron Man.” Also making an appearance in the preview footage were Garry Shandling, as an anti-Stark senator; Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes; Mickey Rourke as Russian inventor Ivan Vanko; Scarlett Johannson as the Black Widow; and Sam Rockwell as rival arms dealer Justin Hammer. Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard in the role of Rhodes. Fans at Comic-Con got the first look at Rhodes’ variant of the Iron Man armor, called War Machine.
And that’s not the only new tech in “Iron Man 2.” Vanko develops his own mechanized weapon and apparently has a grudge against Stark.
“I think the footage has tipped the fact that (Stark is) struggling with some sort of contamination of his own system,” Downey said. “And he has a very formidable guy saying, I don’t care what everyone thinks about you, I know that you come from a family of murderers and thieves and I’m going to take you out of your misery. And maybe he almost half wants that to happen.”
Hammer, meanwhile, appears ready to take on some of the arms work that Stark is refusing.
Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., and Jon Favreau at Comic-Con panel. (AP)
“Justin Hammer is ready to step in and fill Tony’s shoes, and say ‘Hey dude, just let me do it for you.’ But if you look at Justin Hammer and you look at the way Sam Rockwell plays him, you’d be like, ‘Not you buddy. You are a jerk. I don’t trust you.’ And maybe he should have trusted him, or maybe he’s more trustworthy than Tony thinks.”
Stark’s problem in this film is his self-reliance. It worked for him in the first film, as he was able to build an armor that saved his life, but Downey said Stark has to learn he can’t solve everything simply by putting his mind to it.
“I think that’s the big lesson in this film, is that he has to utilize not only all of his own resources, but the resources of those close to him and then resources from somewhere he never ever ever could have imagined.”
“Iron Man 2? is scheduled for release May 7, 2010.
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- Terrence Howard set to join Downey in “Iron Man.”
- Iron Man 2 Details
- Official Iron Man 2 Teaser Poster
- Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammmer aims to take down Tony Stark in Iron Man 2
- Terrence Howard Replaced In Iron Man 2
