Iron Man 3: Does the suit make the man or does the man make the suit?

From the very first second of the trailer we realise that Jon Favreau is no longer guiding us through the Iron Man mythos – he’s left us in the brilliant hands of Shane Black – and that this is not the world we once we knew. This is a world post-Avengers; post-apocolaypse. A world in which Tony Stark only barely survived a near brush with death. A world where the extrovert will look within himself for answers. And finally, Tony will realise the true ramifications of his hubris at the end of the first movie.

When everyone knows your secret there’s no place to hide.

[youtube:http://youtu.be/2CzoSeClcw0%5D

 

Black and Downey worked previously together on the brilliant Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and I expect this time round it’ll be much of the same – a sly mix of roguish charm and weighted gravitas but mostly that roguish charm.

The official synopsis (below) is one of those interesting pieces of writing that uses broad/general descriptions to make you think you’ve learnt quite a bit about the movie but actually leaves you even less informed than you were before. Much like this blog. However, allow me to lay out a short list of facts, and pure speculation, for you (SPOILERS may ensue if you haven’t seen Marvel’s phase one of movies but what are the chances of that?).

1. Tony is in deep shit (duh!). “Nothing’s been the same since New York,” he says in the trailer. And this would be a reference to the hell storm that rained down on the big apple during the climax of The Avengers. The man can’t sleep and when he does he has nightmares. So, in the trailer when we see an Iron Man suit grab Pepper Pots while Tony is next to her is that a nightmare? Probably. A little cliche and that’s not Black’s style but still possible.

2. Early reports indicated that the third installment would be based on Warren Ellis’ Extremis arc which saw a group of scientists supply nanotech to terrorist that could greatly enhance their abilities. Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall will be playing these unscrupulous scientists Aldrich Killian and Maya Hansen respectively. Of course, this doesn’t mean Pearce’s and Hall’s character will be just as unscrupulous in the movie.

3. The Iron Man suit in red, white and blue is in fact War Machine (the silver suit from the second movie that Rhodes stole from Stark). Well, the US army has had it for awhile and apparently went all patriotic on it. The scene in the trailer could possibly be a test for the brass to check out how their modified stolen tech is doing (looks a lot les bulkier than in the second movie. Also, images below).

4. Ben Kingsley is the Mandarin. Not the chinese exile that discovered ten magical rings in the wreckage of an alien ship but rather a terrorist (I think).  Those of you paying attention will remember that the Ten Rings were the terrorist group that kidnapped Stark in the first movie and helped out Whiplash in the sequel. So the man pulling all the strings from the shadows has finally stepped into the light.

(Images via Collider)

The official synopsis:

Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Iron Man 3 will be in theaters May 3, 2013

Rebecca Hall in talks to join Iron Man 3 cast

Actress Rebecca Hall arriving at the premiere of the movie Please Give at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rebecca Hall (The Presitge) has been tapped by Shane Black to take up the role recently vacated by Jessica Chastain. Variety broke the casting news which isn’t definite yet. Chastain cited scheduling issues on her facebook page as the reason for the departure. She is currently filming Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.

As reported earlier Iron Man 3 will draw elements from Warren Ellis’ six-issue Extremis storyline and Hall’s character will be of a sexy young scientist with intelligence that rivals that of Stark’s (quite likely Maya Hansen who helped create the Extremis nanotech and was also previously romantically involved with Stark).

Filming is scheduled to begin in North Carolina this month before heading off to China in late summer.

Iron Man 3 will hit theaters May 3, 2013.

Jessica Chastain in talks to join Iron Man 3 cast; plus reviews for The Avengers

(via IMDB)

Deadline has reported that Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life, The Help) is back in talks to play a starring role in Iron Man 3. Her character is described as a sexy scientist every bit as smart as  Tony Stark. Given the info currently at hand it would suggest Chastain will be playing Maya Hansen.

Guy Pearce joins cast of Iron Man 3; A possible plot for Avengers 3; and more of MIB 3

Variety reports that the Memento star, who will next be seen in Ridley Scott‘s Prometheus on June 8th, is in final talks to join the cast of Iron Man 3. Reports indicate he’s in line to play geneticist Aldrich Killian. It has long been reported that the third installment will be based on Warren Ellis‘ six issue Extremis storyline. The storyline invloves the use of nanotechnology which dramatically changed the strength and capabilities of both Iron Man and Tony Stark. Killian, along with Maya Hansen, hand over this technology to terorists which will require Iron Man to intervene.

Will Ben Kingsley battle Tony Stark?

Variety has reported that Ben Kinsgley is in talks to play an as yet unnamed villain in Iron Man 3. While Marvel declined to comment on the matter insiders assured Variety that Kinglsey is at the negotiating table and the villain is not likely to be the Mandarin. Negotiations better hurry up cause they’re all set to start filming the third installment next month. All main cast members will be returning.

The third installment of the series has long been believed to be loosely based on the Extremis storyline which served as basis for the updated origin in the first movie. If the rumours turn out to be true then Kinglsey might find himself playing Mallen, the man that injected himself with the Extremis serum turning him into a super powered villain. However, it is unlikely they’d demand such a physical role of Kingsley…or will they?

The talented Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Last Boyscout) will be taking over from Jon Favreau. A brilliant screewriter (selling the script for Lethal Weapon at the age of 23 and pioneering the genre of the buddy cop movie – yes, this used to be a good thing) but this will only be his second outing as director. However, seeing his efforts in the brilliant, if not underrated, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, his skill with the pen and his interview with CBR (where he called for “less random carnage and more thriller — less action, more suspense. More character-driven urgency that makes you want to find out what happens to the guy, not what happens to the building behind the guy.”) I’m hopeful.

Iron Man 3 is scheduled to be released on May 3rd 2013.

Meanwhile, Joss Whedon’s final cut of The Avengers clocks in at 135 minutes. The movie opens May 3rd and will set the stage for next year’s Iron Man 3.