Iron Man (film)/Trivia

A list of trivia related to Iron Man.
==References to the Marvel Cinematic Universe==
*Tony Stark went on to appear in The Incredible Hulk, chatting to General Thaddeus Ross in a bar about "putting a team together." This makes these two films the first Marvel films not based on the same property to establish a direct link between each other, thus setting up a Marvel film universe where characters can appear in each other's films (regardless of which studio holds the rights). This new interconnected universe would culminate as the setting for The Avengers, which centered on a group of Marvel heroes that were established in prior films.
==References to Marvel Comics==
*The pilots in the are codenamed "Whiplash 1" and "Whiplash 2". In the Ultimate Iron Man comics, Whiplash is a supervillain who possesses a pair of gloves with steel wires attached as whips. Whiplash would later serve as the antagonist of Iron Man 2.
===Tony Stark===
*In the comics, Tony Stark became Iron Man in the ; this was later retconned to be the . In the film, the site of the character's origin was changed to Afghanistan, as Jon Favreau did not wish to make the film a period piece, striving for a contemporary look.
*The final scene, in which Tony reveals to the press that he is Iron Man, is a reference to the Avengers Disassembled miniseries. In the first issue of the miniseries, which was written by Brian Michael Bendis, Stark, under the influence of Scarlet Witch, revealed himself to be the to the delegates of the United Nations, using the exact line spoken in the film.
===Obadiah Stane===
*Obadiah Stane's house is decorated with a chessboard as a reference to the comics, where his obsession with chess led him to create a group of assassins called the Chessmen to attack Stark Industries. When Obadiah Stane watches Rhodey on TV, an expensive chess set is visible on the table in front of him.
*Obadiah Stane tells Tony Stark "We're iron mongers, we make weapons." Stane's supervillain moniker is the Iron Monger, and the line thus foreshadows Stane's own transition into an armor-clad antagonist.
*To prepare for his role as Obadiah Stane, Jeff Bridges read some of the "Iron Man" comic books that featured Stane. He also grew a goatee and shaved his head, which he said was something he'd always wanted to do.
*The climactic showdown in the film, which sees Iron Man face off against Iron Monger, is adapted from Iron Man #200, published in November, 1968. Both pit Stane's larger, more powerful Iron Monger against Stark's greater experience, and both feature an exploding reactor. However, the comic differs in that it concludes with Stane committing suicide with a repulsor blast.
===Nick Fury===
*In the Ultimate Marvel Comics, the character of Nick Fury is African-American, with his likeness and personality based on Samuel L. Jackson with his permission. During one of the Ultimates issues, whilst discussing the possibility of a movie being made about them and which actors would play which heroes, Nick Fury even comments that nobody but Samuel L. Jackson could play him. Jackson, himself a comic book fan, would end up being cast in the role.
*Brian Michael Bendis had written three pages of dialogue for the Nick Fury post-credits scene, out of which the filmmakers chose the best lines. To keep it a secret, the scene was filmed with a skeleton crew and was deleted from all previews of the film, which maintained the surprise, and kept the audience speculative and interested.
==Casting==
* and were interested in playing Iron Man. Cruise in particular was going to act in and produce the film. Cage played another Marvel superhero in (2007). According to Jon Favreau, and Sam Rockwell are among the actors that were considered for Tony Stark during pre-production. Rockwell would get a part in Iron Man 2 (2010) as Stark's rival Justin Hammer.
*Rachel McAdams was originally asked to play Pepper Potts. She was later cast in Doctor Strange.
==Production==
* All three sets of Iron Man armor were designed by Adi Granov, a comic book artist, and Phil Saunders. They were then constructed by Stan Winston Studios.All three sets of Iron Man’s armor were designed by Adi Granov, a comic book artist from the “Iron Man” comic, and Phil Saunders. They were then constructed by Stan Winston Studios.
*During pre-production, Robert Downey, Jr. set up an office next to Jon Favreau's office, to discuss his role with Favreau and to be more involved in the film's screenwriting.10 Most Expensive Robert Downey Jr. Movies
*The script was not completely prepared when filming began, since the filmmakers were more focused on the story and the action, so the dialogue was mostly ad-libbed throughout filming; Jon Favreau acknowledged this made the film feel more natural. Some scenes were shot with two cameras to capture lines improvised on the spot; Robert Downey, Jr. would ask for many takes of one scene since he wanted to try something new. Gwyneth Paltrow, on the other hand, had a difficult time trying to match Downey with a suitable line, as she never knew what he would say.Iron Man – 15th Anniversary Rewatch Review
*Marvel and Paramount approached the CMT show to select a Truck driver and trick his rig with the Ultimate Ironman makeover. Lance Burk was the lucky driver to be selected. When finished, the exterior of the truck was painted to look like Iron Man's armor, led lights were put everywhere, the engine compartment was tricked out, jet thrusters were attached to the back, and a copy of Iron Man's chest plate was attached to the back under a crafted sign that said Iron Man. The inside of the truck was refurnished to look like Tony Stark's lab, complete with a monster sound and video system.‘Trick My Truck’ Customizes Iron Man Rig
*The cave that imprisons Tony Stark was a 150-200 yard-long set, which had built-in movable forks to allow greater freedom for the film's crew. It also had an air conditioning system installed, as production designer J. Michael Riva had learnt that remote caves are actually very cold.Quint visits the IRON MAN production offices! Art! Favreau speaks about sequels (?!?), casting and more!!!
*Production designer J. Michael Riva researched on objects found in prison which could be improvised and used for other purposes (for instance a sock used to make tea), to provide more verisimilitude to the film.Production (Iron Man)
*Jon Favreau chose to provide the film's VFX after watching (2007) and (2007).Production (Iron Man)
*The film's composer Ramin Djawadi's favourite musical score is the "Kickass" theme, because he composed it according to "a rhythm very much like a machine."Iron Man Trivia
*Most of the exterior scenes set in Afghanistan were filmed at Olancha Sand Dunes. There, the crew had to endure two days of 40-60 mph winds.Iron Man Full Production Notes On Location
*Jon Favreau advised composer Ramin Djawadi to keep the core of the music on heavy guitar, which he felt suited Iron Man best. Djiwadi composed the music on a heavy guitar before arranging it for the orchestra to perform.Production (Iron Man)
==Unorganized Trivia==
*Jon Favreau was originally going to direct Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), which would have been a superhero comedy adventure. However, he instead chose to direct Iron Man and give it a more serious tone.Exclusive: Jon Favreau on Iron Man , who was chosen to direct that film,Captain America Movie Plot Revealed had been filled in to direct Iron Man in December 2004.Cassavetes to pump ‘Iron’ for New Line
*Jon Favreau describes the film as a kind of independent film style, suggesting the movie were as though directed (1978).Films to look out for in 2008 He also cited novels, , (1987),"Ultimate Superhero Preview". . September 29, 2006. pp. 90, 230. and (2005) as inspiration.Ambrose, Tom (July 26, 2007). "The Man in the Iron Mask". : 69.
*During shooting, Jon Favreau and Robert Downey, Jr. preferred improvisation in dialogue scenes, which at first frustrated Jeff Bridges.How the MCU Was Made: ‘Iron Man’s Casting Battles, Improv, and a Secret Stinger
*Tony Stark drives an in the film, as part of a promotion deal Marvel Studios made with the . Two other vehicles, the coupe and the SUV, also make an appearance in the film.How Marvel Fuels Profits For Audi
*An was accidentally run over by a tank during a shoot.Iron Man Full Production Notes On Location
*In October 1999, was approached to write and direct the film.Quentin Tarantino Explains Why He Won’t Join MCU, Calls Marvel Directors ‘Hired Hands’ Later, Joss Whedon, a big fan of the comic book, was in negotiations to direct the film in June 2001.'Avengers' mastermind Joss Whedon has been writing Marvel scripts since he was 12 Whedon went on the direct The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) later on. In December 2004, Nick Cassavetes was hired as a director, with the film to release in 2006, but everything fell through.Cassavetes to pump ‘Iron’ for New Line Finally, Jon Favreau was hired as director.
*Robert Downey, Jr. described his portrayal of Stark as "a challenge of making a wealthy, establishmentarian, weapons-manufacturing, hard-drinking, womanizing prick into a character who is likable and a hero."25 Interesting Facts About Iron Man (2008)
*According to Ramin Djawadi, Tony Stark's different moods, as performed by Robert Downey, Jr., was the inspiration the Iron Man scores in the film.Ramin Djawadi: Compositore di Iron Man
*To prepare for his role as Iron Man, Robert Downey, Jr. spent five days a week weight training and practiced martial arts to get into shape.First look: Downey forges a bond with 'Iron Man' role
*Ghostface Killah, a long-time fan of the Iron Man comics, titled his 1996 album and samples clips of (1966) and got a cameo as a Dubai tycoon. However, his scene was cut from the final film. Favreau apologized to Ghostface and used his "We Celebrate" video in the film.Exclusive: An In-Depth Iron Man Talk with Jon Favreau
*When Pepper Potts discovers Tony Stark removing the damaged Iron Man armor, Captain America's shield is visible, partially constructed on a workbench. It was added as a joke by a visual effects artist, and Jon Favreau decided to leave it in the movie.'Iron Man 2' Director Explains Appearance Of Captain America's Shield This same scene was shown in many trailers, but the image of the shield was edited out.
* An animatronic puppet of the Iron Monger was built for the film by Stan Winston Studios. It stood 10 feet tall and weighed 800 pounds, and was built on a set of gimbals to simulate walking. It required five operators to run it.IRON MAN Production Notes
*When Robert Downey, Jr. was carrying out motion-capture work on the film, he would sometimes wear the helmet, sleeves and chest of the Iron Man armor over the motion-capture suit to realistically portray Iron Man's movements.
*To prepare for his role as James Rhodes, Terrence Howard visited the on March 16, 2007, where he ate with the Base's airmen and observed the routines of rescue helicopters and F-22 Raptor jets.The Bombshell You Didn’t Know about Pararescue and Captain America
*Jon Favreau shot the film in California because he felt that too many superhero films were set on the East Coast, especially New York City.Quint visits the IRON MAN production offices! Art! Favreau speaks about sequels (?!?), casting and more!!!
*An early draft of the script revealed Tony Stark to be the creator of Doctor Octopus' tentacles from .Iron Man's Deleted Doctor Octopus Origin Tied Tony Stark to Spider-Man Villain
*400 extras were meant to be filmed standing at Tony Stark's press conference, but Robert Downey, Jr. suggested they ought to sit down, as that would be more realistic and comfortable. Moviebuff - Iron Man (2008)
*According to Jon Favreau, it was difficult to find a proper opponent for Iron Man to face, since he wanted the film to remain grounded in reality as much as possible. It was decided to have a foe in the film who would serve as a parallel of Stark. Well-known enemies like Crimson Dynamo were considered.Hewitt, Chris (April 2008). "Super Fly Guy". : 66-72. The Mandarin was also considered, but was discarded due to not feeling realistic. Had the Mandarin been the villain, the plan was for Obadiah Stane, the villain ultimately decided on for Iron Man, to be the antagonist of the sequel.LYING IN THE GUTTERS VOLUME 2 COLUMN 156
*Iron Man was Marvel Studios' first self-financed movie.Marvel Looks Back at Iron Man—the Movie That Started It All
*According to Terrence Howard, he and Robert Downey, Jr. competed physically on the set. He specifically ntoed that, "I'm 40-50 pounds heavier than him, so I'm lifting and I push up about 225 and knocked it out ten times. Robert wanted to go about 235, and he did it, so I push it up to about 245... Robert and his competitive ass almost tore my shoulder trying to keep up with him!"Terrence Howard Interview on the set of IRON MAN
*An early draft of the script had Howard Stark, Iron Man's father, as a ruthless industrialist who becomes War Machine.What If Robert Downey Jr. Were Never Iron Man?
*Gwyneth Paltrow only needed to travel 15 minutes to get to the studio. She claimed that this is a part of the reason she took the role, as she could be home with her two children during the entire shoot.30 Interesting And Fascinating Facts About The Iron Man Movie
*The theme song from "Iron Man" (1966) is heard four times in the film: in the Apogee Award ceremony, the casino, in Tony Stark's bedroom, and when Stark calls Rhodes.Iron Man Theme by John O’Brien and Rick Boston
*Stark and Rhodes graduated from MIT together. When Rhodes calls Iron Man, who is flying with the F-22's, you can see a big gold ring on the hand that he's holding the phone in. This is MIT's class ring, the "."
*Production for the movie was mainly based in the former sound stages in . Howard Hughes, for whom the company was named, was an inspiration for the character Iron Man in the comics. The scene where the Iron Man Mark III armor was created was filmed in the area where Hughes assembled the .
*The sound used during a target lock on in Iron Man's (HUD) is the sound of the laser cannon firing in the original game.
* Tony Stark's computer system is called J.A.R.V.I.S. (standing for "Just A Rather Very Intelligent System"). This is a tribute to Edwin Jarvis, Tony Stark's butler. He was changed to an artificial intelligence to avoid comparisons to 's butler . Edwin Jarvis later appeared as Howard Stark's butler in the television series Agent Carter.How James D'Arcy's Jarvis Jumped from Agent Carter to the MCU
*S.H.I.E.L.D., the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Engagement and Logistics Division was known in the comics as Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division. It became Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate in 1991.
*Obadiah Stane plays on the piano a musical piece written by 18th-century composer Antonio Salieri. Salieri is most famously known as a jealous rival of his contemporary, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and was said to have murdered Mozart (although historical records have proven that on the contrary both have collaborated/promoted each other's work on several occasions). This serves as an appropriate parallel of Stark and Stane's relationship in the film.Fan Digs Up Easter Egg From First 'Iron Man' Movie
*The leader of the Ten Rings is named Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, after a Marvel Comics character. However, the comic version of al-Wazar is not an enemy of Iron Man, but an alien cyborg who is a member of the space pirate gang known as the Starjammers. The only similarity they share is their facial disfigurement; in the comics al-Wazar has implants on his left side of his face, while in the film al-Wazar is scarred on the right side of his face.
*The assault rifles Tony Stark refers to as 'his' are in fact modified rifles. The only thing that has changed on most of these weapons is the barrel and upper receiver, but some haven't been modified much at all apart from the magazine wells.
*During the highway battle with Iron Monger, a building can be seen in the background with a Roxxon Corporation logo. In the Marvel Universe, Roxxon is a notorious conglomerate known for illegal activities, agents of which were responsible of the death of Stark's parents.
*The Stark Industries weapons the terrorists are carrying are actual weapons, but mostly made by German arms firm . Many of the terrorists are carrying H&K G36 assault rifles or the smaller . A few are also using (or various M-4 clones) with various accessories, include , , and notably, one terrorist has an with a (LSS) mounted underneath the barrel.
*While playing backgammon with Ho Yinsen, Stark says "Sheesh o Besh." This is a Persian slang phrase which means a roll of 6 and 5 ("Sheesh" is Persian slang for 6, "o" means "and" and "Besh" is Turkish for 5). Shaun Toub, who plays Yinsen, is of Persian ethnicity.Movie Fanatic - Shaun Toub
*Jeff Bridges, hearing that Obadiah was a biblical name, researched on the in the , and was surprised to learn that a major theme in that particular book is retribution, which Obadiah Stane represents.Jeff Bridges talks 'Iron Man,' Robert Downey Jr. and Obadiah
*The Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) animators studied skydivers performing in a vertical wind tunnel to create Iron Man's aerial movements.‘Iron Man’ crew had desired effects Iron Man was also animated to take off slowly and land quickly to make those movements more realistic.
*To create the shots of Iron Man against the F-22 Raptors, cameras were flown in the air to provide reference for the dynamics of wind and frost at that altitude.
*The montage of Tony Stark's life story was created by editor , and contains real-life photos of a young Robert Downey, Jr. and .25 Interesting Facts About Iron Man (2008)
*Just before the final press conference, Tony Stark is reading the newspaper with a grainy, amateur photograph of Iron Man on the cover. The picture is part of a video, shot by onlookers hiding in a bush during initial filming, that appeared on the Internet in 2007. The photographer sued Paramount and Marvel Studios for the unlicensed use of the picture.IRON MAN Censored
*Iron Man was the film released in 2008 to pass the $300 million mark at the domestic box office."Iron Man" bolts past $300 million at box office 
* During the "Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer" (2005) segment, the upper (NYSE) and lower (NASDAQ) tickers are filled with quotes of fictional companies named after various Mad Money production staff such as George Manessis (segment producer) and Regina Gilgan (executive producer).
*Paul Bettany recorded all his lines as J.A.R.V.I.S. in two hours.Paul Bettany Discusses Transitioning From MCU's Jarvis to Vision
*According to Paul Bettany, he did not know which film he was working on; he merely did the job as a favor for Jon Favreau, whom he worked with on (2004).Paul Bettany on Voicing Iron Man's Jarvis
*Rock guitarist Tom Morello assisted Ramin Djawadi in composing the film's soundtrack. Morello himself has a cameo in the film as a security guard who gets killed by the Iron Monger.
*It took around 17 years to get the film into development. Originally, were to produce the film in April 1990.How Iron Man Movies In The 1990s Would Have Changed Superhero Cinema They later sold the rights to .Smith, Andrew (February 18, 1996). "Gen X kids not bad on screen". . Later, Fox sold the rights to .Production (Iron Man) Finally, Marvel Studios decided to handle their own creation.Marvel steels itself for 'Iron'
*Comic book writers Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, Joe Quesada, Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso and Ralph Macchio were commissioned by Jon Favreau to give advice on the script.
*One of the cars in Tony Stark's garage is an all-electric , which had not yet been released during the film's production.Tesla Motors Begins Regular Production of 2008 Tesla Roadster
*In the Region 1 DVD disc 1, Special Features section, there is a hidden circle icon between the "Previews" and "Main Menu" items. Press Enter to see a video of Stan Lee and Robert Downey, Jr. discussing Lee's cameo in the film.
*The actress taking part in the screen test with Robert Downey, Jr., which can be seen in the extras, is .Sasha Alexander on Twitter - January 27, 2017
*Jon Favreau wanted Robert Downey, Jr. because he felt the actor's past was right for the part. He commented: "The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic book character having trouble in high school, or can't get the girl." Favreau also felt Downey could make Stark "a likable asshole", but also depict an authentic emotional journey once he won over the audience.QUESTION-AND-ANSWER: IRON MAN DIRECTOR JON FAVREAU
*The roadster that Tony Stark was working on is actually owned by director Jon Favreau.Q&A: JON FAVREAU
*The film's property master. Russell Bobbitt, won Hamilton's "Behind the Camera Award 2008" for the props he created on Iron Man.Russell Bobbitt | Hollywood Prop Master
*The Stark Industries logo is similar to that of , co-developer of the F-22 Raptor.
*When Pepper looks through the records on Stark's computer, the files mention "missiles transported via the MSC Lebowski" and "legal ownership of mammots within city limits." These terms refer to Jeff Bridges's previous film (1998).Marvel’s Iron Man Contains A Hidden Jeff Bridges/Big Lebowski Easter Egg
*The code that appears on the computer screen in the movie is a utility that downloads firmware into Lego robotic toy (called RCX). It may suggest that Tony Stark used this program to download firmware into his robotic suit.Iron Man's Mark I power sequence is firmware downloader for Lego Mindstorms RCX controller
*When designing Tony Stark's house, the guideline the designers were given was to make it more "grease monkey" than futuristic, in order to keep the film realistic. J. Michael Riva took inspiration from the photographs of , who was noted for photographs of 1950s and 1960s Los Angeles homes.Photographer Captures L.A.'s Vintage Homes
*Director Jon Favreau played a character similar to Tony Stark named Pete Becker on the hit television series (1994). Both Stark and Becker are rich playboys who give up their current life to fight, Tony fights crime while Pete fights in . Favreau even sported Stark-like facial hair for the role.
*There are about five sets of armor in the film, all inspired from the "Iron Man" comics. The Mark I armor, Stark's first suit, is a simple suit constructed of iron. The Mark II armor is a silver suit, the prototype Stark develops. The Mark III armor is the final red/gold armor. J.A.R.V.I.S. first presents the Mark III armor in full gold, the look pays tribute to the all-gold "Golden Avenger" armor Iron Man wore early in his career. J.A.R.V.I.S. later presents the armor in silver and red, making it look almost identical to Iron Man's "Silver Centurion" armor that he wore in the 1980s.
*This is the second time Gwyneth Paltrow has played a character with the initials PP. The first was Polly Perkins in (2004).
*The scene where Pepper helps Tony replace his Arc Reactor was filmed using a prosthetic chest, joined to Robert Downey, Jr.'s own chest and projecting out at an angle, while Downey was 'in' the back of the seat he was sitting on. A bright light was positioned shining on the area to hide any potential 'edges' of the fake chest-piece.12 Things You Didn’t Know About Iron Man’s Arc Reactor
*According to Phil Saunders, Tony Stark was meant to develop a Mark IV armor, which would have been used in the final battle. This Mark IV armor would become the War Machine armor, and had swap-out armaments that would be worn over the Mark III armor however, halfway through pre-production the concept was removed from the script.Iron Man: Official War Machine Concept Art
*To prepare for her role as Pepper Potts, Gwyneth Paltrow asked Marvel to send her any comics to her aid understanding of the character.Gwyneth Paltrow Plays Pepper Potts
*Gwyneth Paltrow based her performance on 1940s heroines, who she claimed were sexy, witty and innocent all at once.
*Director Jon Favreau voiced Iron Man in the (2005) episode Two Weeks Without Food.
* Adi Granov designed a billboard poster of Iron Man's nemesis, the alien dragon Fin Fang Foom, for the film. This poster can be seen when Stark tests the Mark II armor.Why Iron Man Has A Fin Fang Foom Easter Egg
*During the final battle, there was originally going to be a sequence where Tony Stark, in the Iron Man suit, drives an Audi R8 that would crash into Iron Monger's legs then flip over, after which Iron Man would split the car in half and jump out. However, the car would not flip despite repeated crashes and the roof wouldn't split the way the director wanted it to. As a result, the whole final fight sequence was re-written. The filmmakers were so impressed by the toughness of the car that it was decided that the convertible version was to be featured in the sequel.Audi and Marvel: A Dynamic Duo
*Despite the fact that this was filmed in , "Filmed in " is listed in the end credits.Iron Man (2008) Technical Specifications
*The film begins the same Marvel logo animation used on non-Marvel Studios films. However, it has been modified to say Marvel Studios instead of just Marvel. It would be included at the beginning of every Marvel Studios film until Captain America: The First Avenger.
*An alternate version of the post-credits scene exists in which Nick Fury both references the existence of mutants and of spiders biting people, referencing the X-Men and Spider-Man in the MCU. This was scrapped, considering the fact that at that point in time Marvel Studios did not own the rights to the characters.Iron Man Deleted Scene
*This film and The Incredible Hulk are the only Marvel Cinematic Universe films to be released in the 2000s.
*A poster for Iron Man movie appears in the streets of New York City in the video game The Incredible Hulk.
==References==
Category:Trivia
Category:Iron Man (film)