‘Iron Man’ May Be The Best MCU Movie And Here’s Why
For the last thirteen years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe pretty much dominated the box office with a total of twenty-three films as well as a string of television shows. Yes there were superhero movies before it came a long, but certainly nothing of this caliber. The films were extremely immersive, so much so that you could see the heroes pass by your window on their way to save the world. Due to the sheer amount of movies involved, there were plenty for fans to choose from and fight about. I know I have had many a "discussion" with friends regarding which Marvel movie is best. Everyone has a different favorite for different reasons, but which film really is the best? Today's contender for "Best MCU Movie" is the one which started it all, Iron Man.
Before we delve in to the details, it is worth mentioning this article is merely for entertainment purposes and not meant to cause any fights. However, please feel free to share your thoughts and keep an eye out for future articles on the rest of the MCU movies. So without further adieu, let's get sucked in and examine some of the reasons for Iron Man being the best MCU film.
It Basically Started The Franchise
As mentioned above, we have had movies focusing on superheroes before the MCU even existed. There had been numerous Batman and Superman films from DC, as well as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man franchise, and Fox's X-Men series. While most of these films performed extremely well at the box office, the first entry into the MCU just hit differently. Iron Man was a strange choice for the first character focus, as he was not exactly the most well known superhero. However with advancements in CGI, director John Favreau was able to bring the character to life on the big screen in a way that had not been done before. Not only was it an aesthetically pleasing, Iron Man was also the first to feature an after credits scene, something Marvel movies would become synonymous for, teasing the possibility of an Avengers movie later down the line. We are now very much used to seeing all the Marvel characters pop up in each other's movies, but massive team ups and crossovers did not exist back then. The idea of Marvel characters appearing together sent fans into a frenzy as it seemed to suggested bigger plans were afoot.
Robert Downey Jr.
How can we discuss Iron Man without mentioning the man who brought the character to the big screen, the wonderful Robert Downey Jr. At the time of casting, Downey seemed a risky bet due to his troubled past. However as soon as the film was released any concerns were immediately squashed. In most people's opinion, his portrayal of Tony Stark is one of the greatest casting choices ever made in Hollywood. Now we did not mean any offense to other actors, but Downey just seemed to understand the character on a different level. His past saw him struggling with alcohol, something that he had in common with Tony Starks. Throughout comic book history, Starks also had a problem with alcohol. Nowadays, if you did not know the character existed before the films, you would have thought the comic book character was based on the actor. His portrayal all but forced you to believe in every single action or line he delivered, not an easy feat by any means. Give me any other actor who could deliver the famous "I am Iron Man" line better than Downey, and I will gladly fight you (jokes of course!). It was actually also worth noting that Downey was pretty well known for improvising his lines and character actions. The aforementioned famous line being a prime example as it was not in the original script. He caught Marvel big wig Kevin Feige by complete surprise. Feige loved it so much that he went on record to state it completely changed the future of the MCU, and cemented Downey's place within it.
Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau is now a household name. Everything the man touched was pure gold. He would take on projects other directors could only dream of. However, at the time of Iron Man, Favreau was still a relative newcomer to the world of directing. He had small parts ina couple movies, and then decided to move into the director's seat in 2001. He was predominantly known by many as Pete Becker, the short-term boyfriend of Monica Gellar in the hit show Friends. This all changed in 2003 when he scored his first big financial success with the movie Elf, which was one of the most beloved comedy and Christmas movies of all time. His role in Iron Man turned out to be one of the best directorial choices ever made. Not only was he the director and executive producer for the film, he also wrote himself in as Tony Stark's driver, Happy Hogan (a role he would reprise many times throughout the MCU). This further cemented the relationship between him and Downey, making them the perfect team. Thanks to the success of the movie, Favreau truly solidified his reputation as a director and now he has his hands in some of the biggest franchises in the world like Star Wars and Disney.
The Origins Of Iron Man
Considering your average movie is between 90 to 120 minutes long, it is no easy feat to ensure the final cut lives up to audience's expectations, especially when it comes to a superhero movie. As mentioned previously, not many of the target audience knew much about the character Iron Man. Favreau was tasked with introducing enough of the character's backstory for fans to understand how the hero came to be, while also keeping the film moving at a decent pace. Iron Man did this beautifully. We saw exactly the kind of character Tony Stark was before his accident, then followed him on his journey to the iconic red and gold armor. While Stark's motivations did a complete flip within the first 30 to 40 minutes of the movie, it did not feel forced at all. When you finished the movie, you could understand how his decisions was affected by everything that happened to him. Given the same amount of money and knowledge, I am sure many would even have gone on to make their own armor.
Jeff Bridges As The First Villain
One of the main points of criticism across all three Iron Man films was their portrayal of the villains. To be fair, it was also the main criticism in the first MCU films. The choice to focus so much on the heroes often meant the villain was underdeveloped, and their motivations quite confusing. However, the first Iron Man's antagonist was definitely one of the better ones. This was due to veteran actor Jeff Bridges who took on the role of Obadiah Stane. He was Howard Stark's partner before his death then served as a mentor to Tony before donning his own armor and becoming the villain Iron Monger. Bridges played off Downey extremely well throughout the movie and was downright menacing. His portrayal was so good that fans were upset with his demise at the end of the film. They wanted to see him cause more trouble for Tony later down the line, and see Bridges further expand on the character.
Thankfully, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not going away any time soon. It is still dishing out hit after hit, leaving fans still screaming for more. I personally do not believe the franchise would have lasted as long or been as successful without Iron Man, which is why I believe it to be a truly great contender for best MCU movie.
What do you think? Do you agree with the above points? Is it your favorite, but for different reasons? Be sure to let us know.
Until next time!