Love or hate Iron Man 2, it should come as no surprise that director Jon Favreau and Marvel are already gearing up for part 3, and Happy Hogan himself has intentions for Tony Stark’s next outing. First, there’s the not-so-surprising news that the film could feature 3D. Favreau has expressed interest in 3D for Iron Man 2, which means that the third film might ultimately be the first Marvel film to utilize the technology. As for the actual story, the director has made mention that The Mandarin could appear in the third film. This too is not terribly surprising, as the first film made reference to The Ten Rings, hearkening back to the villain’s ten magical rings in the original comics. The issue with The Mandarin, and Favreau addresses this, is the magic bit.
He notes that “the problem with The Mandarin is, the way it’s depicted in the comic books, you don’t want to see that. He also has 10 magical rings, and it just doesn’t feel right for our thing, so it’s either tech-based or the rings are not really rings.” He goes on to talk about the influence of the other Avengers members, like Thor, on the third part, suggesting that maybe the magic inherent in Kenneth Branagh‘s Thor will make The Mandarin’s ten rings fit into the film more seamlessly.
Although introducing yet another villain into the franchise is to be expected, comic book audiences everywhere know how overload can hurt a film. It feels like the easier and more logical narrative path to take would be to follow through on the falling out between Tony Stark and James Rhodes, rather than cramming a new (less interesting) villain in the mix. Let’s not forget that The Avengers could even make any plot line tricky – just look at what it’s already done to Iron Man 2.
Are you excited for the third installment in the Iron Man franchise after Iron Man 2? Will 3D be a good route to take, and would you rather see The Mandarin involved than more War Machine? Sound off.