Joss Whedon's The Avengers was a big, bold and intensely fun movie that offered jaw-dropping action sequences, face-offs that had fanboys and fangirls uncontrollably geeking out, and plenty of witty one-liners. Most admirably, no member of the assembled ensemble seemed to outshine any other. But now with Iron Man 3 geared up for its spring release, the focus goes back to the less-than-humble genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist and smirking quipster Tony Stark, who jump-started it all.
We got a first look at the Iron Man 3 trailer last month, and from the looks of it, things are going to get dark for Stark. Kicking off with Tony bloody and on his back, his narration speaks of regret, nightmares and fear. What follows is a pained looking Pepper Potts, the utter annihilation of Stark's cliff-perched mansion, and then Tony all alone dragging his dead suit through a cold and harsh landscape. None of Robert Downey Jr.'s trademark swagger is on display, none of Tony's exhilarating arrogance. No jokes. But despite all this, Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige promises the latest installment will not be a "serious movie." Speaking to Yahoo Australia, he said:
"It's not a serious movie, but we seriously dig into exploring more of Tony. The trick is just trying to make great movies. We try to make them all great, all different and all fresh. What you'll see in Iron Man 3 is some very unique directions that were taken."
This unique take on Iron Man is helmed by Shane Black, who memorably worked with Downey before on the pitch-black showbiz comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I mention it here because it too deals with deeply dark topics—like incest, rape and murder—yet manages to be blisteringly funny. Of course, Iron Man 3's requisite PG-13 rating should keep things from getting too taboo, but expect Tony to dabble in his dark side while keeping his resilient sense of humor in tact.
Iron Man 3 will be hit theaters May 3rd, 2013. Until then, you can click here for more about the movie.
