Iron Man 3. Jon Favreau speaks about next villain (Spoilers?)
- Thread starter Dream
- Start date
Like Captain Canada pointed out I thought the Mandarin's rings were alien technology, so I think it could work within the movie Iron Man universe. I agree with others that its probably not best to call him Mandarin. Just call him Khan or Tem Borijian like they have in the comics and it should be all good. A subtle/not-so-subtle reference like they did with Iron Monger and War Machine, as already pointed out, should work.
I don't know much about the character but from what I read I also agree with taking out any Fu Manchu or stereotypical characterizations. I did read an arc a couple years ago where he was trying to release the Extremis virus. I liked how he was portrayed, and this is the way I hope Favreau does the character if they decide to use him.
I've read Iron Man comics off and on and I'm not so sure he is overpowered. There are a lot of instances where his technology fails him or is inadequate. He took serious lickings from both Thor and Hulk in the last couple years, the Skrulls severely compromised his armor/tech, and Norman Osborn had him on the run.
Perhaps Iron Man's rogues gallery could use a little work though. It seems like there are variations of the same type of bad guy a bit too much and then some second stringers thrown in there. However, it only takes a good writer and artist to turn many second string characters into top shelf baddies. So, there is enough of a rogues gallery, not to mention them pulling bad guys from across the Marvel U if necessary for Iron Man to have at least several more interesting big screen adventures.
One more thing...about the toughness of the Avengers. Captain America is not frail. I can give you Hawkeye, Wasp, Ant-Man, etc. But Cap is a heavy-hitter. You take Iron Man out that suit or power it down, he's toast. From what I recall, it was Cap that taught Iron Man hand-to-hand combat skills.
I don't know much about the character but from what I read I also agree with taking out any Fu Manchu or stereotypical characterizations. I did read an arc a couple years ago where he was trying to release the Extremis virus. I liked how he was portrayed, and this is the way I hope Favreau does the character if they decide to use him.
I've read Iron Man comics off and on and I'm not so sure he is overpowered. There are a lot of instances where his technology fails him or is inadequate. He took serious lickings from both Thor and Hulk in the last couple years, the Skrulls severely compromised his armor/tech, and Norman Osborn had him on the run.
Perhaps Iron Man's rogues gallery could use a little work though. It seems like there are variations of the same type of bad guy a bit too much and then some second stringers thrown in there. However, it only takes a good writer and artist to turn many second string characters into top shelf baddies. So, there is enough of a rogues gallery, not to mention them pulling bad guys from across the Marvel U if necessary for Iron Man to have at least several more interesting big screen adventures.
One more thing...about the toughness of the Avengers. Captain America is not frail. I can give you Hawkeye, Wasp, Ant-Man, etc. But Cap is a heavy-hitter. You take Iron Man out that suit or power it down, he's toast. From what I recall, it was Cap that taught Iron Man hand-to-hand combat skills.
That line really doesn't make any sense. Wolverine doesn't just have switch-blades coming out of his hands. His bones (as well as those blades) are made of an impossibly dense alloy, and he has a super-healing ability. Most of those other guys are vulnerable to an ordinary knife or blunt object.
Sure, you could argue that the mind-control and magnetism are a step above (power-wise), but nobody can keep their concentration 24/7.
Ebert doesn't get that Wolverine's "powers" aren't his claws. For a reviewer, he sure didn't pay attention to him healing before his very eyes. Something they drove home in X-Men 1 and how that ability saved Rogue at the end.
The Mandarin could be a Chinese American academic working for the US government to destabilize the People's Republic. Except that he's really planning on becoming the new dictator/emperor of China and friendship with the US is not necessarily on the agenda. This would fit thematically with the first two movies' emphasis on responsibilty of weapons creators for the results, without dragging in the arc reactor again. And the name mandarin can be an insulting reference to the new villain's academic background.
It's the "finding them in a alien ship" part of the technology they can't use.
I wouldn't even go that far.
I'd make Mandarin a techno genius.
Make "Mandarin INC." the name of his company, thus the name.
Asia is already a rival to the US in the tech. war.
So that cements his status.
Have the rings be part of a two gautlets that steal his repulsor technology.
Link him back to "the Ten Rings" & Justin Hammer from the first two films as if he's been the catalyst for what's been going on this whole time.
Maybe they can tie in The Leader too, from Incredible Hulk. Considering he's not an alien and just another rape victim of Gamma Radiation, I'm not exactly sure yet.
Checkmate
Commodore
Err, why not?
i think because they want to avoid using too much magical mysticism and anything alien. But I'm with you. It's Marvel Studios now though so they should be able to call the shots now, even under Disney's stranglehold, although I don't see Disney influencing all that much if at all.
I think you just don't drill down and explore too much of the alien or the ship. Don't worry about backstory for how the ship got here, what he was doing here or what his species backstory is about.
I'd go with the ship being largely buried and found via a cave. Show some outer structure and a hatch or pierced opening in the skin of the ship. Keep the interior dim. Show a dead alien in a chair with the rings, perhaps they glow when the too be new weilder touches them. He then leaves. We get a montage of him testing the rings over the years. At some point the rings are adressed as an "unknown to us technology, yet technology still" are some such verbage.
I'd go with the ship being largely buried and found via a cave. Show some outer structure and a hatch or pierced opening in the skin of the ship. Keep the interior dim. Show a dead alien in a chair with the rings, perhaps they glow when the too be new weilder touches them. He then leaves. We get a montage of him testing the rings over the years. At some point the rings are adressed as an "unknown to us technology, yet technology still" are some such verbage.
I guess you didn't notice the recorded scenes of Tony's dad are an exact homage to openning of "Wonderful World of Disney" w/ Walt Disney or that the model is a replica of Epcot Center?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffnSTfBN1lU&feature=related
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The same reason they keep using Magneto in the X-Men films an not Apocalypse. It's too over the top and stretch the casual audience acceptance of what the director already established as real world believable. It also veers away from the theme so far of these Iron man films, which is rivalry within the weapons industry. Which is what Farvreau means when he says: " It doesn't feel right for our thing." The alien ship aspect is too out there.
Tony Stark maybe a genius but how would he know to combat alien technology?
It's not about what a comic book fan will accept, it's what will an audience that doesn't accept.
It's bad enough he looks like Ming from Flash Gordon, add alien rings and he becomes a joke.
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oh no I noticed John Slattery looking all Walt Disney-like but I thought they finished this movie before Disney's acquisition, I guess I was wrong
As long as they don't start putting Mickey in an Iron Man or Spidey uniform.....
Nope, you were right. The movie finished shooting before Disney acquired Marvel.
We have aliens in the movie Marvel universe via Fantastic Four 2 so using an alien ship for the Mandarin Rings is not too far fetched (especially if you play the conspiracy angle of aliens already visiting us and the government keeping a lid on it).
I agree it is time for the Mandarin.. when last i read Iron Man comics (somehwere after Extremis) the Mandarin was this asian madman with a very high intelligence able to scheme his way out with no problems. Gone were the day of cheap clichee chinese medieval imagery.. that Mandarin was a cold, heartless and intelligent villain who was on the same level as Stark.
Iron Monger/Obadiah Stane was a decent villain for an introductory movie but Hammer was a whimp and i just really couldn't take him serious as a villain and opponent of Stark so it's time for someone who'll really corner Stark and not just bruise him.
As to the Captain America discussion and power levels on general:
The advantage of Cap isn't so much his shield or peak human physical abilities but that he's a born leader and combat tactician. He inspires people to give the best, leads by example and that makes him very dangerous.. sure, there's Hulk and Thor who would kill Cap easily with a direct hit but they are straightforward brawlers and you know their capabilities (and there'll always be someone even more powerful). But if i were to fight a team such as the Avengers i'd be far more concerned about the brains and leadership of that team and in this regard Cap ranks amongst the heavy hitters.
I agree it is time for the Mandarin.. when last i read Iron Man comics (somehwere after Extremis) the Mandarin was this asian madman with a very high intelligence able to scheme his way out with no problems. Gone were the day of cheap clichee chinese medieval imagery.. that Mandarin was a cold, heartless and intelligent villain who was on the same level as Stark.
Iron Monger/Obadiah Stane was a decent villain for an introductory movie but Hammer was a whimp and i just really couldn't take him serious as a villain and opponent of Stark so it's time for someone who'll really corner Stark and not just bruise him.
As to the Captain America discussion and power levels on general:
The advantage of Cap isn't so much his shield or peak human physical abilities but that he's a born leader and combat tactician. He inspires people to give the best, leads by example and that makes him very dangerous.. sure, there's Hulk and Thor who would kill Cap easily with a direct hit but they are straightforward brawlers and you know their capabilities (and there'll always be someone even more powerful). But if i were to fight a team such as the Avengers i'd be far more concerned about the brains and leadership of that team and in this regard Cap ranks amongst the heavy hitters.
