Iron Man 2

***Iron Man 2*** is a 2010 superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. The film is a sequel to *Iron Man*. It is the third film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the third installment of Phase One. The film was released on April 28, 2010 internationally and on May 7, 2010 in the United States.

The film is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard, as James Rhodes/War Machine, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, with Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

The third film in

## Connection To MCU Spider-Man

The film connects to MCU Spider-Man as a young Peter Parker (portrayed by Max Favreau) visits the Stark Expo and acquires toy replicas of the Iron Man helmet and glove, as well as Tony Stark's autograph. During his second visit, Hammer Drones sent by Ivan Vanko began attacking the expo, prompting Stark, the host, to fight them as Iron Man. One drone had landed in front of Parker, who held his hand up in defiance and aimed his toy repulsor at the suit. Iron Man arrived shortly thereafter and annihilated the drone, thanking Parker for his help before flying off to continue his battle, leaving Parker awestruck.

## Plot

In Russia, the media covers Tony Stark's disclosure of his identity as Iron Man. Ivan Vanko, whose father, Anton Vanko, a former Stark Industries employee, has just died, sees this and begins building a miniature arc reactor similar to Stark's. Six months later, Stark is a superstar and uses his Iron Man suit for peaceful means, resisting government pressure to sell his designs. To continue the legacy of his father Howard, he reinstitutes the Stark Expo in New York City's Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.

Later, Stark learns that the palladium core in the arc reactor that keeps him alive and powers the armor is slowly poisoning him, and he cannot find a substitute. Growing increasingly reckless and despondent about his impending death, and choosing not to tell anyone about his condition, Stark appoints his personal assistant Pepper Potts as CEO of Stark Industries and hires Stark employee Natalie Rushman to replace her as his personal assistant. Stark competes in the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, where he is attacked in the middle of the race by Vanko, who is wielding electrified whips. Stark dons his armor and defeats Vanko, but the suit is severely damaged. Vanko explains that his intention was to prove to the world that Iron Man is not invincible. Impressed by Vanko's performance, Stark's rival, Justin Hammer, fakes Vanko's death while breaking him out of prison and asks him to build a line of armored suits to upstage Stark. During what he believes is his final birthday party, Stark gets drunk while wearing the Iron Man suit. Disgusted, Stark's best friend, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, dons Stark's prototype armor and tries to restrain him. The fight ends in a stalemate, and Rhodes confiscates the armor for the U.S. Air Force.

Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approaches Stark, revealing that "Rushman" is agent Natasha Romanoff and that Howard Stark was a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder whom Fury knew personally. Fury explains that Vanko's father and Stark invented the arc reactor together, but when Anton tried to sell it, Stark had him deported. The Soviets sent Anton to the Gulag. Fury gives Stark some of his father's old material. Tony discovers a hidden message in the diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo; it proves to be a diagram of the atomic structure of a new element. With the aid of his A.I., J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark synthesizes it. When he learns that Vanko is still alive, he places the new element in his arc reactor and ends his palladium dependency.

At the current Expo, Hammer unveils Vanko's armored drones, led by Rhodes in a heavily weaponized version of the prototype armor. Stark arrives to warn Rhodes, but Vanko takes remote control of all the drones and Rhodes' armor and attacks Stark. Hammer soon gets arrested for breaking Vanko out of prison, while Romanoff and Stark's bodyguard Happy Hogan go after Vanko at Hammer's factory. Vanko escapes, but Romanoff returns control of Rhodes' armor to him. Together, Stark and Rhodes defeat Vanko and his drones. Vanko commits suicide by blowing up his suit, along with the defeated drones.

At a debriefing, Fury informs Stark that because of his difficult personality, S.H.I.E.L.D. intends to use him only as a consultant. Stark and Rhodes receive medals for their heroism. In a post-credits scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson reports the discovery of a large hammer at the bottom of a crater in a desert in New Mexico.

## Cast

* Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
	+ Davin Ransom as Young Tony Stark
* Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
* Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine
* Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
* Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer
* Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash
* Samuel L. Jackson as Director Nick Fury
* Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson
* John Slattery as Howard Stark
* Garry Shandling as Senator Stern
* Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S. (voice)
* Kate Mara as U.S. Marshal
* Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart
* Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
* Christiane Amanpour as herself
* Philippe Bergeron as Detective Lemieux
* Larry Ellison as himself
* DJ AM as himself
* Tim Guinee as Major Allen
* Eric L. Haney as General Meade
* Ali Khan as Ten Rings Agent
* Eugene Lazarev as Anton Vanko
* Stan Lee as Larry King
* Helena Mattsson as Rebecca
* Anya Monzikova as Rebeca
* Margy Moore as Bambi Arbogast
* Olivia Munn as Chess Roberts
* Elon Musk as himself
* Bill O'Reilly as himself
* Jack White as Jack
* James Bethea as Airman Harper
* Mathew Lorenceau as Prison Guard Noel Chevalier
* Sonny the Bird as Irina
* Max Favreau as Peter Parker
* Michael A. Templeton as Senator Larson (uncredited)
* Peter Trenholm Smith as Senator Clements (uncredited)
* Ken Colquitt as Senator Goodwin (uncredited)
* Unknown Actor as Johnny Libatique (uncredited)
* Unknown Actor as Senator Elkin (uncredited)
* Unknown Actor as Senator Busard (uncredited)
* Unknown Actor as Senator Gibson (uncredited)
* Unknown Actress as Senator Carlino (uncredited)
* Unknown Actor as Senator Beckman (uncredited)
* Unknown Actor as Troy McGatlin (uncredited)