Iron Man 1&2 were great, and I rank them amongst the top ten superhero movies. I know some will disagree with me, but Iron Man was a fun and different take on the superhero myth. In the last few days I heard that Jon Favreau has left the project. There were a lot of rumors floating around: that he had an argument with Robert Downey Jr, that he asked for too much money, Orhe was pegged to direct other Disney based movies. I wouldn’t be surprised if the reason is one or all of these. The official explanation is that he has moved on to direct Disney’s Magic Kingdom. He stated he wants to “blow people away, which is easier to do with a project that isn’t loaded with built-in expectations.” I like Favreau as an actor and director, and I’m sure Magic Kingdom will be at least entertaining, but I worry about Iron Man’s fate.
Comic book movies always have what is know as the “Curse of 3”. For Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, Blade, and X-Men, the first two films were golden. The third not so much. Best case scenario a third movie is a departure from what is previously established, worst case scenario the audience is presented with an abomination. With any franchise it’s hard to maintain consistent quality though out multiple sequels. With the bar set relatively high for Iron Man. It would be easy for a new director to drag the movie down go but down.
Whoever takes the reigns for Iron Man needs to examine what worked with the first two films to apply them to the third. Firstly, give Robert Downey Jr breathing room to continue his fast paced humor and banter. Tony Stark was believable as a mega genius because of the actor’s quick wit. Second keep the visuals tangible, yet fanciful. Iron Man 1&2 looked amazing. The technology was sleek and polished. Without delving too deeply into the ridiculous side of the spectrum, comic book science was brought to life. Third, keep Gwyneth Paltrow and RDJ’s on screen chemistry fun. Despite the dysfunctionality the relationship was enjoyable and comedic. Despite the potential for angst, and useless drama I enjoyed the banter. Fourth keep the plot centered around something relevant to current events in a geo-political sense. The first two movies dealt with corporate morality, terrorism, disarmament, illegal arms trade, and war without being preachy. Follow this trend and the story will not only be entertaining but thought provoking.
The new director needs to also learn from the mistakes of Iron Man 1&2. The final battle in Iron Man 2 could have been more dramatic. Iron Man has only fought robots and armored people. Maybe he should have someone with actual superpowers to fight him in the next film. Iron Man also needs to have a more iconic villain. Though I liked Obadiah Stane, Justin Hammer, and Ivan Vanko they were all down to earth. A slightly more iconic villain would be nice. I previously wrote an article about the Mandarin. I think he would be a good mastermind to match wits with Tony Stark.
Future Iron Man movies have a fine line to walk to maintain their previous quality and break the “Curse of 3”. I’m worried, but I hope my fears are misplaced. A new director could be the shot in the arm this film series needs to blow the first two films away. If anyone wants to contact me for a consult I can be emailed through this sight.