Iron Man (film)

"I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public.""Just stick to the cards, man.""Yeah, okay. Yeah. The truth is... I am Iron Man."
: ―Tony Stark and James Rhodes
Iron Man is a 2008 superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. It is the first film and installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first film of Phase One and The Infinity Saga. The film was released on April 30, 2008 internationally and on May 2, 2008 in the United States.
The film is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Terrence Howard as James Rhodes, Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, Shaun Toub as Ho Yinsen, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.
In 2022, Iron Man became the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to be inducted into the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
The film spawned two sequels: Iron Man 2 in 2010 and Iron Man 3 in 2013.
== Synopsis ==
2008's Iron Man tells the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.
== Plot ==
Playboy and visionary industrial genius Tony Stark, CEO of leading military defense contractor, Stark Industries, is at a casino, blowing off an award ahead of a big day in war-torn Kunar, Afghanistan, to demonstrate his company's new Jericho missile. With him is his friend and military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, a member of the United States Air Force, they arrive.
While riding in a transport convoy, Stark is critically wounded in an ambush and held captive in a cave by the Ten Rings. An electromagnet built by fellow captive Ho Yinsen keeps the shrapnel that wounded Stark from reaching his heart and killing him. The Ten Rings leader, Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, offers Stark freedom; in exchange, Stark must build a Jericho missile for the terrorists. Stark and Yinsen agree that al-Wazar will not keep his word of letting Stark live.
While pretending to work on the missile, Stark and Yinsen secretly build a powerful electric generator called an Arc Reactor to power Stark's electromagnet. They then begin to build a powered suit of armor, designed by Stark, to help them escape. The Ten Rings ambush the workshop when they discover Stark's plan, but Yinsen sacrifices himself to distract them while Stark's suit powers up. Using the armored suit, Stark fights his way out of the cave to find a mortally wounded Yinsen, who reassures Stark and urges him to continue his escape and not waste his life. An enraged Stark leaves the cave, burns the terrorist's stockpile of Stark Industries-produced weapons, and flies away. Having escaped, Stark crashes in the desert, which destroys the suit.
Having been rescued by a search party, including Rhodes, Stark returns home. He calls a press conference to announce that his company will no longer manufacture weapons, having seen first-hand the strife that they cause in the wrong hands. Obadiah Stane, his father's old partner and the company's manager, informs Stark that this may ruin Stark Industries and his father's legacy.
In his home workshop, Stark spends the next few months building an improved version of his suit, as well as a more powerful arc reactor for his chest. At Stark's first public appearance after his return, Christine Everhart informs him that Stark Industries weapons, including the Jericho missile, were recently delivered to the Ten Rings and are being used to attack Gulmira, Yinsen's home village. Stark confronts Stane about the supplied weapons and learns that Stane is trying to replace him as head of the company.
Enraged, Stark dons his new armor and flies to Afghanistan, where he saves the citizens of Gulmira from the Ten Rings' wrath. While flying home, Stark is engaged by two F-22 Raptors on behalf of the U.S. Air Force. He phones Rhodes and reveals his identity in an attempt to call off the attack. Meanwhile, the Ten Rings gather the pieces of Stark's prototype suit. Al-Wazar meets with Stane and offers to exchange the suit with him. However, Stane has al-Wazar and his faction eliminated, taking the suit for himself. Returning to Stark Industries, Stane orders his scientists to have a new suit reverse-engineered from the wreckage.
Seeking to find any other weapons delivered to the Ten Rings, Stark sends his trusted personal assistant, Pepper Potts, to hack into the company computer system from Stane's office. Potts finds evidence of Stane supplying weapons to the terrorists, but also discovers that Stane had initially hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark in Afghanistan. After an uncomfortable encounter with a suspicious Stane, Potts meets with Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division to inform him of Stane's activities.
Stane's scientists reveal that they cannot finish his suit, as no one can manage to duplicate Stark's Arc Reactor. Stane ambushes Stark at his home, using a Sonic Taser to paralyze him and take his current Arc Reactor. Left to die, Stark manages to crawl to his lab and saves himself by re-using his original arc reactor. Potts and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attempt to arrest Stane, but he dons his suit and attacks them. Stark fights Stane, but is outmatched without his upgraded reactor to run his suit at full capacity.
Stark lures Stane atop the Stark Industries building and instructs Potts to overload the large Arc Reactor there. Doing so unleashes a massive electrical surge that knocks Stane unconscious, causing him and his armor to fall into the exploding reactor, killing him. The next day, the press has dubbed the armored hero "Iron Man". Agent Coulson gives Stark a cover story to explain the events of the night and Stane's death. At a press conference, Stark begins giving the cover story, but then instead announces that he is Iron Man, shocking the public as the crowd of interviewers suddenly begin roaring out questions, much to Rhodes' confusion.
Afterward, Nick Fury visits Stark at his home, stating that Iron Man is not "the only superhero in the world," and wants to discuss the Avengers Initiative.
== Cast ==
* Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
* Terrence Howard as Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes
* Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
* Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
* Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart
* Shaun Toub as Doctor Ho Yinsen
* Faran Tahir as Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar
* Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson
* Bill Smitrovich as General William Gabriel
* Sayed Badreya as Abu Bakaar
* Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S. (voice)
* Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
* Peter Billingsley as William Ginter Riva
* Tim Guinee as Major Julius Allen
* Kevin Foster as Jimmy Ryan
* Garrett Noel as Adam Pratt
* Eileen Weisinger as Ramirez
* Ahmed Ahmed as Ahmed
* Fahim Fazli as Omar
* Gerard Sanders as Howard Stark
* Russell Richardson as Scott Campbell
* Tim Rigby as Whiplash 1
* Nazanin Boniadi as Amira Ahmed
* Thomas Craig Plumer as Colonel Craig
* Micah A. Hauptman as Lacy
* Jim Cramer as Himself
* Javan Tahir as Ezil
* Jeannine Kaspar as Trixie
* Stan Lee as Watcher Informant
* Zorianna Kit as Herself
* Ben Newmark as Ben
* Marvin Jordan as Kenneth Smith
* James Bethea as Taylor
* Samuel L. Jackson as Director Nick Fury (uncredited; post-credits scene)
== Appearances ==
=== Locations ===
* Kunar, Afghanistan
* Afghanistan
** Ten Rings Base
* Las Vegas, Nevada
** Caesars Palace
* Malibu, California
** Tony Stark's Mansion
* Santa Monica, California
** Stark Industries Aviation Division
** Pacific Park
* Bagram, Afghanistan
** Bagram Air Base
* Los Angeles, California
** Stark Industries Headquarters
** S.H.I.E.L.D. Los Angeles Office
** Roxxon Corporation Building
** Walt Disney Concert Hall
* Lancaster, California
** Edwards Air Force Base
* Gulmira, Afghanistan
* California
** Obadiah Stane's Mansion
* Long Beach, California (footage)
* Islamabad, Pakistan (footage)
* Karachi, Pakistan (footage)
* East Hampton, New York (mentioned)
* Bern, Switzerland (mentioned)
* New York City, New York (mentioned)
* China (mentioned)
* Soviet Union (mentioned)
* Kandahar, Afghanistan (mentioned)
* Canada (mentioned)
* South Korea (mentioned)
** Seoul (mentioned)
* Ukraine (mentioned)
* Langley, Virginia (mentioned)
* Washington, D.C. (mentioned)
* Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (mentioned)
* Avalon, California (mentioned)
* University of California, Berkeley (mentioned)
* Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mentioned)
* Brown University (mentioned)
* University of Cambridge (mentioned)
* Tokyo, Japan (mentioned)
* Stuttgart, Germany (mentioned)
* Baghdad, Iraq (mentioned)
=== Events ===
* Kidnapping of Tony Stark
* Battle of Gulmira
* Assassination of Ten Rings Operatives
* Theft of the Arc Reactor
* Duel of Los Angeles
* Assassination of Howard and Maria Stark (newspaper)
* World War II (mentioned)
** Attack on Pearl Harbor (mentioned)
* Soviet-Afghan War (mentioned)
* Hindenburg disaster (mentioned)
=== Items ===
* Iron Man Armors
** Mark I Iron Man Armor
** Mark II Iron Man Armor
** Mark III Iron Man Armor
* Arc Reactor
* Palladium
* Iron Monger Armor
* Jericho
* Sonic Taser
* Dum-E and U
* Pick-Lock Device
* Bulletproof Vest
* Stark Industries Fragmentation Shell
* Captain America's Shield (replica)
* LG VX9400
* Mad Money
* Vodka Martini
* Atomic Bomb (mentioned)
* Tactical Satellite Program (mentioned)
=== Vehicles ===
* Humvee
* Stark Industries Private Jet
* F-22 Raptor
* Ford Flathead Roadster
* Boeing C-17 Globemaster
* Audi R8
* Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé
* Audi S5
* Audi Q7
* Hot Rod
* Lockheed YF-22 (replica)
* Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (mentioned)
=== Creatures ===
* Dogs
* Goats
* Pigeons
* Platypuses (mentioned)
* Butterflies (picture)
* Horses (picture)
* Bears (mentioned)
=== Organizations ===
* Stark Industries
* United States Air Force
* Ten Rings
* S.H.I.E.L.D.
** Damage Control (mentioned)
** Avengers Initiative (mentioned)
* Roxxon Corporation
* RJ News
* KNKV News
* FBX
* KPFW
* 10 News
* KPGB
* KHEJ
* The Chronicle
* Vanity Fair
* Wired
* Afghan National Army
* CNBC
* The Washington Times
* Financial Times
* Popular Mechanics
* MIT Technology Review
* Newsweek
* Forbes
* Rolling Stone
* South Asia Transport
* Eastern Pacific Shipping Company
* JCR Line Shipping
* Pacific Cargo Lines Shipping
* FBI (mentioned)
* CIA (mentioned)
* United States Department of Defense (mentioned)
* Burger King (logo)
* Ray's Pizza (logo)
* Maxim (mentioned)
=== Mentioned ===
* Manhattan Project
* Larry
* Maria Stark
* Franklin D. Roosevelt
* Adolf Hitler
* Alexander the Great
* Hugh Hefner
* Simon C. Clowes
* Michaela Alex Gabriel
* George Cheryl
* Bill Phippen
* Hirohito
* Achilles
* Bill Gates (footage)
* Leonardo da Vinci
* Jackson Pollock
* Genghis Khan
* Roman Empire
* Julius Caesar
* Myspace
* Operation
* Heart of Darkness
== Videos ==
=== Trailer ===
Iron Man 2008 HD - Official Trailer
=== Other ===
On the Red Carpet the Iron Man Premiere
Iron Man- 15 Years Later with Kevin Feige and Jon Favreau
== Music ==
* Iron Man – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Song title 	Artist 	Location(s)
Hell Above Water 	Curve 	
* Official Trailers.
Hey Man, Nice Shot 	Filter 	
* Official Trailer.
Cochise 	Audioslave 	
* Official Trailer 2.
Back in Black 	AC/DC 	
* Opening Scene.
Damn Kid 	DJ Boborobo 	
* The retrospective on Tony Stark at the award ceremony.
Iron Man - Theme from the Animated Series
(Jack Urbont cover) 	John O'Brien and Rick Boston 	
* Tony Stark had sex with Christine Everhart.
Slept on Tony 	Ghostface Killah 	
* A drunk James Rhodes dances with stewardesses on the plane.
Institutionalized 	Suicidal Tendencies 	
* Tony Stark works on an engine with J.A.R.V.I.S. as Pepper Potts enters the lab.
Groovetronic 	Terry Devine-King 	
* Tony Stark sees news report about the Stark Benefit.
Kool Katz 	Chucho Merchán 	
* Pepper Potts and Tony Stark dance.
Licorice 	Emanuel Kallins and Steve Skinner	
* Phil Coulson calls up Tony Stark to a reunion with the S.H.I.E.L.D. in Stark Benefit.
Concerto in Do Maggiroe Per Pianoforte eo Orchestra: Larghetto	Antonio Salieri 	
* Obadiah Stane plays the piano.
Iron Man 	Black Sabbath 	
* End credits.
Iron Man - Theme from the Animated Series 	Jack Urbont 	
* Tony Stark's Ringtone.
* Credits.
== References ==
# ↑ Marvel Called J.J. Abrams For Help With First ‘Iron Man’ [UPDATE]
# ↑ Hans Zimmer composes additional tracks for Iron Man along with Ramin Djawadi
# ↑ ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Little Mermaid’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally’ Added to National Film Registry
# ↑ Iron Man - Marvel.com
== External Links ==
* Iron Man on Wikipedia
* Iron Man on Marvel Database
* Iron Man on Marvel Website
* Iron Man on IMDb
* Iron Man on Disney+
* Iron Man on Facebook
* Iron Man on 𝕏