The MCU is so expansive and diverse in its storytelling, that honestly, it's hard to fathom that it all began in a cave, with a box of scraps *Obadiah Stane voice*. And yet, that’s exactly what happened, from the brilliant writing of Jon Favreau, and the iconic performance of Robert Downey Jr. The 2008 blockbuster covers the story of Tony Stark, an arrogant and callous weapons dealer who is kidnapped by the Ten Rings (yes, Wenwu’s Ten Rings). However, after teaming up with his cellmate, (the brilliant Shaun Toab) Yinsen, Tony designs a prototype suit of armor to break out of his prison, and escape back to the United States. Upon his arrival, Tony reflects on his previous selfish nature, and how his weapons dealing resulted in the murder of innocent people– people he never thought of, as he was always concerned with the money. His experiences in captivity showed him that life is more valuable than profit, and he becomes the superhero Iron Man. Using his newly designed weaponized armor-suit, Tony dedicates his life towards eradicating terrorism and working towards world peace. 

 

This story is bombastic, hilarious, powerful, and immensely moving. Robert Downey Jr. brilliant excels in displaying a wide variety of emotion; his sheer, infectious joy when flying through Malibu for the first time; the silent, cold fury that emanates from his eyes when witnessing the murder of innocent refugees; his snarky, badass attitude when facing danger; and his loving, compassionate nature when speaking to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts. One scene in particular that brilliantly shows this is when Pepper refuses to help Tony break into Obadiah Stane’s office. Tony then solemnly tells Pepper that she helped Tony make millions at the expense of innocent refugees for years– and she only has concerns when she’s asked to try helping Tony atone for his sins. When Pepper then snaps that Tony’s going to get himself killed, Tony states, 

 

“I shouldn’t be alive… unless it was for a reason. I’m not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know… what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it’s right.” 

 

I mean, that’s about as beautiful as character development can get. From a calloused drunkard, to an armored protector, Robert Downey Jr. beautifully conveys the journey of a man who is lost in the glory of life, and finds purpose in its deeper meaning. 

 

When you really think about it, Robert Downey Jr. is the reason why Iron Man took off into the cinematic stratosphere. His brilliant performance easily conveyed a message to the audience– redemption isn’t easy, and yeah, you gotta earn it, but it’s possible. It’s never too late to pick up the pieces of your life and build something incredible with it. In fact, this film was the reason why I decided to join Full Sail University and chase my MFA in Creative Writing! 

 

This message was a huge reason why this film stood out in the summer of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. However, another reason why this film changed the entire game is because it broke conventions. Prior to Iron Man, the superhero genre focused on traditional superheroes such as Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman. Focusing on characters that the mass public didn’t know about was a bold risk from Jon Favreau, but it also allowed for the audience to experience a brand new hero and as a result, a brand new story. And with the new hero, comes new character tropes! Previously, superheroes had biological-based powers, stayed in New York, and their regular life had little impact on their superhero alter-ego. Iron Man breaks all of these conventions– Tony Stark was a superhero that used technology, instead of superpowers (and was advertised as Superheroes aren’t born. They’re built). Tony was based in California, instead of New York, and Tony’s wealth, engineering genius, and influence as a weapons dealer helped to create his alter-ego, Iron Man. All of these changes created a fresh superhero hit that forever altered the landscape of superhero movies, and continues to do so! 

 

However, what differentiates Iron Man is its implications in the real world. From shady business dealings, collusion with terrorism, America’s (economic) benefit to conflicts in the Middle East, and Iron Man’s crusade against terrorists, the film punched superhero audiences with realism over flash. I mean, how bad-ass was it to see Iron Man free refugees and take out their captors? So cool!!! 

 

Iron Man’s sheer individuality, brilliant writing, and excellent performance from Robert Downey Jr. continues to be a model for superhero cinema today.