This past weekend in San Diego, lucky Comic-Con goers got a sneak peek at the first publicly viewed "Iron Man 2" footage, fueling the fervor for the hotly anticipated sequel. We'll keep those fires burning bright by bringing you inside "Iron Man 2" -- all from a series of stories about our set visit a few weeks back. Yesterday we opened with an overview of "Iron Man 2," in theaters, May 7, 2010. Today, we visit with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige!
By Randy Ma
Loved "Iron Man?" So did we, of course--and we thank every one of you who helped make it one of the biggest movies of 2008.
Now with the May 7, 2010 release of "Iron Man 2" less than 10 months away, expectations and anticipation for the sequel are growing exponentially.
One of the men responsible for meeting all of those expectations is Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige. Last month, Marvel Studios invited select press outlets to visit the set where we got a firsthand introduction to the film from Feige himself. Here's what we learned!
"Iron Man 2" will concentrate on two major themes: the fact that the world now knows Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man and the complex relationship between Tony and his father, Howard Stark.
The plot centers around a worldwide energy crisis requiring Tony to investigate his father's past work. This forces Tony to look into the Stark Expo, an equivalent to The World's Fair, where the greatest minds would congregate to showcase new developments in technology.
Will we get to see Howard Stark in action? "Mad Men's" John Slattery has been cast in the role and fans can expect to see him in old footage and photos. As Feige explained, Tony will be chasing the ghost of his father instead of revisiting him in flashbacks.
As anyone who has seen the first film knows, unlike other super heroes, Iron Man does not have a secret identity. This was revealed in the cliffhanger closing to "Iron Man." The repercussions to that ending will play a major role in the sequel.
"It's sort of like being a celebrity," described Feige.
That "celebrity" aspect will have a major effect on Tony's relationships between Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle).
Add contending with the major villain in "Iron Man 2," rival industrialist Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), to the strained relationships with his friends and Tony will face odds on two fronts both in and out of costume.
With so many things happening on so many different fronts, will Tony have any assistance this time around? Rhodey fans, here's what you've been waiting for:
"War Machine will be in the film," Feige confirmed.
Plus, Iron Man will mingle with other Marvel favorites.
"We definitely have more of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the movie," teased Feige. "Agent Coulson [of S.H.I.E.L.D.] is back and the organization will play a much larger role than before."
Feige was hesitant to spill the beans on the reappearance of the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), but made it clear that Fury's role in "Iron Man 2" will be at least comparable to the first film.
Come back tomorrow for more from the "Iron Man 2" set as we learn more from the film's director, Jon Favreau!
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