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Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (titled onscreen as Iron Man Three)[4][5] is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.[a] It is the sequel to Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010), and the seventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Shane Black from a screenplay he co-wrote with Drew Pearce, and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stéphanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, William Sadler, Miguel Ferrer, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley. In the film, Tony Stark grapples with the consequences of the events of The Avengers (2012) during a national terrorism campaign on the United States led by the mysterious Mandarin.

Iron Man 3

  • April 14, 2013 (2013-04-14) (Grand Rex)
  • May 3, 2013 (2013-05-03) (United States)

131 minutes[1]

United States

English

$200 million[2]

$1.215 billion[3]

After the release of Iron Man 2 in May 2010, director Favreau chose not to return for a third film. Black was hired to write and direct the sequel in February 2011, working with Pearce to make the script more character-centric, focus on thriller elements, and use concepts from Warren Ellis's "Extremis" comic book story arc. The film's supporting cast, including Kingsley, Pearce, and Hall, were brought on throughout April and May 2012. Filming took place from May 23 to December 17, 2012, primarily at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina. Additional filming took place around North Carolina as well as in Florida, Los Angeles, and China; an extended version of the film specifically for Chinese audiences was created. Seventeen companies provided the film's visual effects.


Iron Man 3 premiered at the Grand Rex in Paris on April 14, 2013, and released in the United States on May 3, as the first film in Phase Two of the MCU. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its action sequences, Black's direction, and Downey's performance, though there was criticism for its portrayal of the Mandarin. The film was a box office success, grossing over $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2013 and the sixteenth film to gross over $1 billion. It finished its theatrical run as the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time, while its opening weekend was the sixth-highest of all time. The film received Best Visual Effects nominations at the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards.

Plot[edit]

At a New Year's Eve party in 1999, Tony Stark meets scientist Maya Hansen, the inventor of Extremis, an experimental regenerative treatment that allows recovery from crippling injuries. Disabled scientist Aldrich Killian offers them a place in his company Advanced Idea Mechanics, but Stark rejects him. Thirteen years later, Stark is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and has frequent panic attacks due to his experiences during the alien invasion of New York.[b] He has built dozens of new Iron Man suits to cope with his insomnia, creating friction with his girlfriend Pepper Potts.


Meanwhile, a string of bombings is claimed by a terrorist known as the Mandarin. Stark's security chief Happy Hogan is badly injured in one such attack and is put into a coma, prompting Stark to issue a televised threat to the Mandarin, revealing his home address in the process. The Mandarin sends gunship helicopters to destroy Stark's home. Hansen, who came to warn Stark, survives the attack with Potts. Stark escapes in an experimental new Iron Man suit, which his artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S. pilots to rural Tennessee, following a flight plan from Stark's investigation into the Mandarin. Stark's new armor is not fully functional and lacks sufficient power to return to Malibu, leading the world to believe that he died.


With the help of Harley Keener, a local boy, Stark investigates the remains of a local explosion bearing the hallmarks of a Mandarin attack, although it occurred years before any known attack by the terrorist. He discovers the "bombings" were triggered by soldiers subjected to Extremis whose bodies explosively rejected the treatment. These explosions were falsely attributed to a terrorist plot to cover up Extremis' flaws. Stark witnesses Extremis firsthand when Mandarin agents Savin and Brandt attack him: Stark kills Brandt and incapacitates Savin. Meanwhile, Killian resurfaces and kidnaps Potts with assistance from Hansen. American intelligence agencies continue to search for the Mandarin, with James Rhodes—the former War Machine, now re-branded as the Iron Patriot—lured into a trap to steal his armor.


Tracing the Mandarin to Miami, Stark infiltrates his headquarters using improvised weapons. Inside, he discovers the Mandarin is an English actor named Trevor Slattery, who is oblivious to the actions carried out in his image. Killian then captures Stark. He reveals he has subjected Potts to Extremis in the hope Stark will help fix Extremis' flaws while trying to save her. When Hansen betrays Killian by threatening to jeopardize his operations, Killian fatally shoots her.


Stark escapes and reunites with Rhodes, discovering that Killian intends to attack President Ellis aboard Air Force One, using the Iron Patriot armor, controlled by Savin. Stark kills Savin, saving the passengers and crew, but cannot stop Killian from abducting Ellis. At an impounded damaged oil tanker, Killian intends to kill Ellis on live television. The Vice President would then become a puppet leader, following Killian's orders, in exchange for Extremis to cure his young daughter's disability. Stark and Rhodes infiltrate the platform, aided by the remaining Iron Man suits, controlled remotely by J.A.R.V.I.S.. Rhodes secures the President and takes him to safety, while Stark discovers Potts has survived the Extremis procedure. Before he can save her, a rig collapses around them, and she falls to the platform below, causing Stark to believe her dead. Stark fights Killian but finds himself cornered. Killian, who appropriated Hansen's Extremis research as a cure for his own disability and expanded the program to include injured war veterans, reveals he is the real Mandarin behind Slattery's cover. Potts, whose Extremis powers allowed her to survive the fall, kills Killian to save Stark.


As a gesture of his devotion to Potts, Stark orders J.A.R.V.I.S. to destroy all the Iron Man suits. The Vice President and Slattery are arrested, and Happy awakens from his coma. With Stark's help, Potts's Extremis effects are stabilized; and Stark promises to scale back his life as Iron Man, undergoing surgery to remove the shrapnel near his heart and throwing his obsolete chest arc reactor into the sea. He muses that, even without the technology, he will always be Iron Man.

as Tony Stark / Iron Man:
An Avenger and a self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with mechanical suits of armor of his own invention. Stark now struggles to come to terms with his near-death experience in The Avengers,[9][10] suffering from anxiety attacks. On making a third Iron Man film, Downey said, "My sense of it is that we need to leave it all on the field—whatever that means in the end. You can pick several different points of departure for that."[11] On following up The Avengers, Downey said they "tried to be practical, in a post-Avengers world. What are his challenges now? What are some limitations that might be placed on him? And what sort of threat would have him, as usual, ignore those limitations?"[12] Screenwriter Drew Pearce compared Tony to an American James Bond for both being "heroes with a sense of danger to them, and unpredictab[le]" even if Stark was a "free agent" instead of an authority figure like Bond. He also likened Tony to the protagonists of 1970s films such as The French Connection (1971), where "the idiosyncrasies of the heroes is what made them exciting."[13]

Robert Downey Jr.

as Pepper Potts:
Stark's girlfriend, longtime associate, and the current CEO of Stark Industries.[9][14] Paltrow says of her character's relationship to Tony, "[She still] adores Tony, but she absolutely gets fed up with him. He gets caught in a feedback loop."[15] Kevin Feige commented on Pepper's role in the film: "The love triangle in this movie is really between Tony, Pepper and the suits. Tony, Pepper and his obsession with those suits, and the obsession with technology." Feige also stated the film uses the character to play with the damsel in distress trope, and posits the question, "Is Pepper in danger or is Pepper the savior?"[16]

Gwyneth Paltrow

as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / Iron Patriot:
Stark's best friend and the liaison between Stark Industries and the U.S. Air Force in the department of acquisitions. Rhodes operates the redesigned/upgraded War Machine armor, taking on an American flag-inspired color scheme similar to the Iron Patriot armor from the comics.[10] Feige said of Rhodes and the armor, "The notion in the movie is that a red, white and blue suit is a bold statement, and it's meant to be. With Rhodey, he's very much the foil to Tony's eccentricities, and in this one you get to see this and be reminded of the trust and friendship between them in that great Shane Black buddy-cop fashion."[17] In the film, the president asks Rhodey to take up the moniker "Iron Patriot," and don the red, white, and blue suit, in order to be the government's "American hero" in response to the events in The Avengers.[18]

Don Cheadle

as Aldrich Killian:
The creator of the Extremis virus[19] and the founder and owner of the science and development organization Advanced Idea Mechanics[20] who adopts the mantle of the Mandarin as his own.[21][22] Killian develops Extremis to cure his own debilitating disability; in addition to his regenerative healing qualities, he has superhuman strength and the ability to generate extreme heat. Prolonged exposure to Extremis also grants him the ability to breathe fire. Pearce felt he was "a little more experimental" in the roles he was taking in his career, and was not keen on appearing in a superhero film, but felt his role in this film was "cameo stuff" which was a more enjoyable experience because he was "working in concentrated spurts".[23] Pearce described Killian as a man with physical disabilities who has "never been able to accept those limitations" and works to overcome them, continuing, "His tenacity and blind determination in fighting for a better life are seen by some as irritating, as he often comes across as obnoxious."[20] Black felt that Pearce ultimately is the Mandarin in the film, and that Marvel worked with him "to come up with these crazy things, these far out ideas" that divert from established expectations from the comics.[21]

Guy Pearce

as Maya Hansen:
A geneticist whose work helped Killian create Extremis.[10][24][25] Hall said Hansen would be a "strong female character," and described her decision to take the role, saying, "I decided to do Iron Man 3 because I've never done the 'hurry up and wait' movie before. Even the studio movies I've done have been small studio movies, or indie films that we made on a wing and a prayer. I love those, but Iron Man is refreshing in a way because it's something out of my realm of experiences."[26] Hall confirmed her character's role was greatly reduced in the final film, saying, "I signed on to do something that was a substantial role. She wasn't entirely the villain—there have been several phases of this—but I signed on to do something very different to what I ended up doing."[27]

Rebecca Hall

as Ellen Brandt:
A war veteran who becomes an assassin after her exposure to Extremis.[10][28] Describing Brandt, Szostak says, "... [Extremis] was a second chance at life. We talked about what you feel like and I think it almost makes you a fuller version of who you are, all your weakness and your qualities—just everything gets enhanced. I saw it as very freeing, almost you become your true-self and your fantasy-self all at once."[29] The writers originally envisioned Brandt as Killian's main henchman, who would return throughout the film to fight Tony, but eventually, that role was reassigned to Eric Savin.[30]

Stéphanie Szostak

as Eric Savin:
Killian's Extremis-powered henchman.[10][31] Dale stated that his character in the film was "loosely based on" the comic version of the character.[32] According to Dale, "Ben Kingsley is the mouthpiece. Guy Pearce is the brain. I'm the muscle."[33]

James Badge Dale

as Matthew Ellis:[28][34] The President of the United States, named after Warren Ellis, who wrote the "Extremis" comics arc that primarily influenced the film's story.[35]

William Sadler

as Rodriguez: The Vice President of the United States.[36]

Miguel Ferrer

as Happy Hogan:
Tony Stark's former bodyguard and chauffeur who now serves as Stark Industries' head of security department. Favreau, who served as both actor and director on the previous two Iron Man films, said participating in the new film was "like [being] a proud grandfather who doesn't have to change the diapers but gets to play with the baby."[37]

Jon Favreau

as Trevor Slattery:
A British actor whom Killian hired to portray the Mandarin, a terrorist persona in jammed television broadcasts in which he is depicted as the leader of the international terrorist organization the Ten Rings.[38] Kingsley was filming Ender's Game when he was cast, and said that, "Quite soon I'll be with everybody and we'll be discussing the look and the feel and the direction of the character. It's very early days yet, but I'm so thrilled to be on board."[39] On his performance, Kingsley stated: "I wanted a voice that would disconcert a Western audience. I wanted a voice that would sound far more homegrown and familiar—a familiarity like a teacher's voice or a preacher's voice. The rhythms and tones of an earnest, almost benign, teacher—trying to educate people for their own good."[40] The Mandarin was initially set to appear in the first Iron Man film, but he was put off for a sequel as the filmmakers felt that he was "too ambitious for a first [film]."[41] On the character, Feige stated, "The Mandarin is [Iron Man's] most famous foe in the comics mainly because he's been around the longest. If you look, there's not necessarily a definitive Mandarin storyline in the comics. So it was really about having an idea."[17] Shane Black explains Ben Kingsley's Mandarin is not Chinese in the film as he is in the comics in order to avoid the Fu Manchu stereotype: "We're not saying he's Chinese, we're saying he, in fact, draws a cloak around him of Chinese symbols and dragons because it represents his obsessions with Sun Tzu in various ancient arts of warfare that he studied." The filmmakers also cited Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now as an influence for the character.[42] The videos where the Mandarin gives historical background to the attacks expressed how it emerged as the product of "a think tank of people trying to create a modern terrorist."[30] Thus the Mandarin "represents every terrorist in a way", from South American insurgency tactics to the videos of Osama bin Laden.[42]

Ben Kingsley

Paul Bettany reprises his role from previous films as J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark's AI system.[28] Ty Simpkins portrays Harley Keener, a child who lives in Rose Hill, Tennessee who assists Stark when the latter breaks into his garage in order to repair his suit. He later helps Stark investigate various incidents associated with the Extremis project, and afterwards he is rewarded by Stark with a garage-full of modern engineering tools and equipment.[43][28] Simpkins reprises his role as Harley in a cameo in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Simpkins has stated that he has a three-picture deal with Marvel Studios.[44] Ashley Hamilton portrays Taggart, one of the Extremis soldiers.[45] Adam Pally plays Gary, a cameraman who helps Stark.[46] Shaun Toub reprises his role as Yinsen from the first Iron Man film in a brief cameo,[47] and Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance as a beauty pageant judge.[48] Dale Dickey plays Mrs. Davis, mother of an Extremis subject that is framed as a terrorist.[49] Wang Xueqi briefly plays Dr. Wu in the general release version of the film.[50] A cut of the film produced for release exclusively in China includes additional scenes featuring Wang and an appearance by Fan Bingbing as one of his assistants.[51][52] Jenna Ortega plays the vice president's daughter.[53] Mark Ruffalo makes an uncredited cameo appearance, reprising his role as Bruce Banner from The Avengers, in a post-credits scene.[54] Comedians Bill Maher and Joan Rivers,[55][56] and Fashion Police co-host George Kotsiopoulos have cameo appearances as themselves on their respective real-world television programs,[57] as do newscasters Josh Elliott,[58] Megan Henderson,[59] Pat Kiernan,[60] and Thomas Roberts.[61]

Marketing[edit]

In July 2012, at the San Diego Comic-Con International, a new Iron Man armor from the film, the Mark XLII, was on display on the convention floor, along with the Marks I-VII from the first two Iron Man films and The Avengers.[122] A panel was held, during which Shane Black, Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau and Kevin Feige discussed making the film, and several minutes of footage from the film were shown.[37] The first television advertisement aired during Super Bowl XLVII on the CBS network in the United States.[123] On March 25, 2013, Marvel and Disney revealed on the official Iron Man Facebook page, "Iron Man 3: Armor Unlock," to reveal suits Stark has made before the events of the film.[124] In January 2013, Marvel Comics released a two-issue comic book prelude by writers Christos Gage and Will Corona Pilgrim with art by Steve Kurth and Drew Geraci. The story set between the second and third Iron Man films centers on War Machine, revealing why he was absent during the battle in New York of The Avengers.[125]


Like with the first two films, Audi again provided product placement with various vehicles.[126] Oracle also returned from Iron Man 2, showcasing both the Oracle Cloud and the Oracle Exadata server.[127] Verizon FiOS and TCL's flat panel televisions and Alcatel One Touch smartphones are also featured in the film,[128] and the Chinese cut also shows a Zoomlion crane and Yili milk.[129] Promotional deals were arranged with Subway and the Schwan Food Company,[128] and tie-ins included Lego sets,[130] Hasbro action figures,[131] and a mobile phone game by Gameloft.[132]


Disney also promoted the film at its domestic theme parks. Disneyland's Innoventions attraction received a Stark Industries exhibit beginning April 13, and Monorail Black of the Walt Disney World Monorail System was given an exterior Iron Man scheme.[133][134] The exhibit, entitled Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries, features the same armor display that was shown at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, with the Marks I-VII and the new Mark XLII. In addition, there is a simulator game, titled "Become Iron Man," that uses Kinect-like technology to allow the viewer to be encased in an animated Mark XLII armor and take part in a series of "tests," in which you fire repulsor rays and fly through Tony Stark's workshop. The game is guided by J.A.R.V.I.S., who is voiced again by Paul Bettany. The exhibit also has smaller displays that include helmets and chest pieces from the earlier films and the gauntlet and boot from an action sequence in Iron Man 3.[135] All-in-all, Disney spent $131 million marketing the film worldwide.[136]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

Iron Man 3 grossed $409 million in North America and $805.8 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.215 billion, outgrossing both of its predecessors combined. Worldwide, it became the fifth-highest-grossing film, the second-highest-grossing film of 2013,[158] the second-highest-grossing film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (behind Marvel's The Avengers),[159] and the highest-grossing film of the Iron Man film series,[160] as well as the fourth-highest-grossing comic-book and superhero film overall.[161][162] It achieved the sixth-largest worldwide opening weekend with $372.5 million.[163] On the weekend of May 3–5, 2013, the film set a record for the largest worldwide weekend in IMAX with $28.6 million.[164] On its 23rd day in theaters, Iron Man 3 became the sixth Disney film and the 16th film overall to reach $1 billion.[165] It is the first Iron Man film to gross over $1 billion, becoming the second Marvel film to do so after The Avengers,[35] and was the fourth-fastest film to reach the milestone. As part of the earlier distribution agreement made with Disney in 2010, Paramount Pictures received 9% of the box office gross generated by Iron Man 3.[166] Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $391.8 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film.[136]


By the end of its opening day, Iron Man 3 made $68.9 million (including $15.6 million from late Thursday shows),[144] achieving the seventh-highest-grossing opening day.[167] By the end of its opening weekend, the film earned $174.1 million, making it the second-highest opening weekend of all time, behind The Avengers. Of the opening-weekend audience, 55% was over 25 years old, and 61% were males, while only 45% of the gross originated from 3-D screenings. Opening-weekend earnings from IMAX amounted to $16.5 million.[168] It topped the box office during two consecutive weekends and achieved the fourth-largest second-weekend gross with $72.5 million.[169]


The film earned $13.2 million on its opening day (Wednesday, April 24, 2013) from 12 countries.[170] Through Sunday, April 28, it earned a five-day opening weekend of $198.4 million from 42 countries.[171] The film's opening-weekend gross included $7.1 million from IMAX venues.[172] It set opening-day records in the Philippines (surpassed by Man of Steel), Taiwan,[170] Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia,[173] China,[174] Ukraine,[175] Russia and the CIS,[176] both single- and opening-day records in Thailand and South Africa,[177] as well as a single-day record in Hong Kong.[178] It also scored the second-biggest opening day in Argentina, only behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.[179] The film set opening-weekend records in the Asia Pacific region, in Latin America, and in individual countries including Argentina (first surpassed by Fast & Furious 6, when including weekday previews),[180] Ecuador,[181] Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore,[171] Thailand, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.[175] It also achieved the second-largest opening weekend in Mexico,[182] Brazil,[183] and Russia and the CIS.[176] In India, it had the second-best opening weekend for a Hollywood film, after The Amazing Spider-Man.[184] IMAX opening-weekend records were set in Taiwan, the Netherlands, Brazil, and the Philippines.[172] It is the highest-grossing film in Indonesia, Malaysia,[185] and Vietnam[186] and the second-highest-grossing film in Singapore and the Philippines, behind The Avengers.[187] It topped the weekend box office outside North America three consecutive times.[188]


In China, where part of the production took place, the film set a midnight-showings record with $2.1 million, as well as single-day and opening-day records with $21.5 million (on its opening day).[174] Through its first Sunday, the film earned an opening-weekend total of $64.1 million,[189] making China's opening the largest for the film, followed by a $23.1 million opening in Russia and the CIS, and a $21.2 million opening in the UK, Ireland and Malta.[190] With total earnings reaching $124 million,[191] it was the highest-grossing American film in China in 2013, and the country is the film's highest-grossing market after North America, followed by South Korea ($64.2 million) and the UK, Ireland, and Malta ($57.1 million).[186][190]

Critical response[edit]

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 79%, with an average score of 7/10, based on 331 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "With the help of its charismatic lead, some impressive action sequences, and even a few surprises, Iron Man 3 is a witty, entertaining adventure and a strong addition to the Marvel canon."[192] Metacritic gave a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[193] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, the same score as both its predecessors.[194]


In an early review by the trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter, Todd McCarthy said that, "After nearly crashing and burning on his last solo flight in 2010, Iron Man returns refreshed and ready for action in this spirited third installment ... [that] benefits immeasurably from the irreverent quicksilver humor of co-writer and director Shane Black.[195] Calling the film "darker and more serious than its predecessors," Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times credited Black for "chang[ing] this billion-dollar-plus franchise's tone for the better while keeping the same actor as Tony Stark. ... There is quite a bit of Black's trademark attitude and humor here as well, things like a throwaway reference to the sci-fi classic Westworld and a goofy character who has Tony Stark's likeness tattooed on his forearm. Black and company throw all kinds of stuff at the audience, and though it doesn't all work, a lot of it does and the attempt to be different and create unguessable twists is always appreciated."[196] Rafer Guzman of Newsday characterized Iron Man as "the anti-Batman, all zip and zingers. He's also, suddenly, rather family-friendly. Some of the movie's best moments are shared by Stark and latchkey kid Harley (Ty Simpkins), who mock their budding father-son relationship while acting it out."[197] Psychology Today concluded that the film presented an accurate portrayal of Tony Stark's posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.[198] Michael Arbeiter of Hollywood.com praised the film as "Marvel's First True Action-Comedy", commenting that "Tony's camaraderie with preteen tech geek Harley Keener is one gigantic superhero/'90s-kid-sidekick laugh riot (the friggin' kid's name is Harley Keener ... is there anything more '90s-kid-sidekick-sounding than that?!)."[199]


Nick De Semlyen of the UK film magazine Empire had criticisms, even while giving the film four of five stars. Finding it "a swinging caper with wit, balls, heart and exploding baubles," he said the villainous "super-soldiers who can regenerate body parts and survive astounding damage [are] visually interesting ... but their motivation is murky and unconvincing."[200] Likewise Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York bestowed 3 of 5 stars, saying, "Black has massively upped the verbal sparring and kept the broad inventiveness of comic-book malleability in mind. ... The most wonderful of Black's surprises harkens back to his '80s reputation for character revision and is simply too good to ruin here." But, he asked, "[W]hy, finally, are we down at the docks—in the dark, no less—for one of those lumbering climaxes involving swinging shipping cranes? The energy bleeds out of the film; it's as if the producers were scared the crowd would riot over not enough digital fakeness."[201]


Reacting more negatively, Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger found the film "slickly enjoyable" for the visual effects, but said, "[T]here's something empty about the film. Like Tony's suits, it's shiny and polished. But this time, there's nobody inside ... This movie has neither the emotionalism of the first film, nor the flashy villains of the second ... Tony's relationship with girlfriend Pepper Potts is in inexplicable jeopardy—and then simply fixes itself. A supposedly cute kid sidekick—a true sign of authorial desperation—is introduced, and then dropped."[202] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune echoed this, saying, "[I]n a gleefully cynical bid for a preteen audience (a few years too young for the violence in Iron Man 3, I'd say), Stark befriends a bullied 8-year-old [sic] (Ty Simpkins) who becomes his tag-along and sometime savior ... Stark no longer needs to be in the Iron Man suit. He's able to operate the thing remotely when needed. The movie's like that too. It's decent superhero blockbustering, but rather remote and vaguely secondhand. At this point, even with Black's flashes of black humor, the machinery is more or less taking care of itself, offering roughly half of the genial wit and enjoyment of the first Iron Man."[203]

Themes and analysis[edit]

Iron Man 3 focuses on contemporary U.S. foreign policy and its consequences.[241] Like the first Iron Man film, it is about the military industrial complex. The main antagonist, Killian, tries to take over the US government and capitalize on the War on Terror with a decoy villain actor, the Mandarin; the supposed looming menace distracts the public from Killian's actions with a narrative of the constant threat that also makes the war profitable.[241] Using Stark as a metaphor of American society, Charlie Jane Anders of Gizmodo notes that the film differs in the portrayal of the country from the previous two entries; whereas the previous films were about the guilt of ruining areas in foreign countries, Iron Man 3 is about the feeling of powerlessness, in that a trusted, wealthy and individualistic celebrity like Stark is unable to find a powerful terrorist such as the Mandarian.[242]


The Mandarin, a cover-up adversary that is otherwise non-threatening, is a take on Americans' xenophobia towards Middle Easterns,[241] and how people's fear is taken advantage of to create and pass harmful policies.[243] The Mandarin's characteristics are what the population expects from a terrorist, such as a large beard, army pants, and comments he gives to the media that condemn the US. The twist that the Mandarin is fake also plays on audiences' availability heuristics that make them think if someone is a danger or not.[241]


Iron Man 3 is part of a trend in post-9/11 superhero films consisting of vulnerable, weak superheroes and complex antagonists with realistic motivations.[243] Psychologist and author Dr. Travis Langley believed Stark meets all of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders's criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, and Stark, like those with PTSD in real-life, denies he could have it.[244] Stark enacts its symptoms, such as anxiety attacks, hypervigilance, frequent nightmares, and an inability to be in the public;[241][244] this deviates from most portrayals of not only superheroes but also strong male leads in general, where they are not traumatized from perilous situations.[241]

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Official production notes