The hype train for this year’s Marvel schedule can’t get any louder. Fans of Thor will be riding alongside the Thunder god into the hallowed halls of Asgard when Thor: The Dark World hits theaters this November. The film looks to add some extra meat and potatoes to The Avengers 2 storyline, which finds Thanos the Mad Titan heading towards Earth ready to strike.
In the other corner of cinephiles’ coronaries is Tony Stark’s final adventure, Iron Man 3. Robert Downey, Jr., Gwynth Paltrow, Don Cheadle face an ominous threat in the form of The Mandarin (played by Sir Ben Kingsley) and, according to many, it looks as if this will be the golden feather in Marvel’s already-fluffy cap.
VIBE caught a screening of the cyber industrialist’s last hoorah, and with the end in mind, we examine Why The Iron Man Franchise Will Go Down As Marvel’s Best Film Ever.
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Tony Stark Reigns Supreme
Nick Fury’s first choice to lead “The Avengers Initiative” was our chance to be amazed by superheroes again. Marvel had trouble setting its footing after a few missteps (Eric Bana, anyone?) and Iron Man looked to change the climate. Blending comic book canon with the star power of Robert Downey, Jr., Marvel had an instant hit and we had a leader to take comic book movies into a rejuvenated direction.Even if you didn’t know what was going on (I mean, how many caught Cap’s shield Easter egg?), Tony did and thought about the next five moves after that. That type of foresight is why Iron Man will continuously be one of the first films to come to mind when the “Best Marvel Film” debates begin.
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Iron Man Dictated The Initiative
It’s not as simple as saying, “No Iron Man, no Avengers,” no. Over the course of three films, the franchise pushed the stories of the other parts of the overall canon. The actions from each project helped to dictate the pacing of Marvel’s fellow standalone pictures that culminated with the super smash-up-blockbuster-bonanza known as The Avengers.In Iron Man 3, director Shane Black pushes the envelope to the MAX with reckless abandon. Without giving too much away (the photo above does enough), the events in this picture will reverberate over the second phase of the Marvel initiative that will keep comic book fiends chomping at the bit for more. Heck, the Iron Man 3 ending is soooo good that Joss Whedon is reworking his Avengers 2 finale.
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Tony Stark Wins Over Captain America Any Day!
If Robert Downey, Jr.’s last ride is indeed Iron Man 3, he’ll go out as the true “First Avenger.” The 48-year-old actor may want to recharge before the Planet Hulk-esque Avengers 3 hits theaters (hey, a nerd can dream, right?!). In the end, his character and the adventures he took cinephiles on can only be appreciated with time.The only way we can put this all to a test is for Marvel to get the cross-over bug and tell the tale of Secret Wars. That way, we can see just who’s the best Avenger.
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The Iron Man Canon Is Champion Status!
From fighting his father’s old partner in an epic battle to utilizing the Extremis “virus,” Iron Man is some of the most advantageous, well thought out and technologically-cool canon in the super hero movie universe. If you haven’t read Warren Ellis and Adi Granov’s six-issue story arc, then you have a few days to get hip, as “Extremis” serves as the primary source material for Iron Man 3.If you thought seeing Tony hop into the suit from his suitcase was dope, wait until you get a load of him using thought to construct the Man of Steel. Amazingly, we’re able to see this on the big screen, further proving and cementing Iron Man as the dominant franchise in Marvel’s crazy catalog of content.
Don’t believe us? Check out the trailer for the upcoming adventure below:
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