Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man 2” is the third movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however actually it was the primary. Favreau’s “Iron Man” from two years earlier than was a Paramount manufacturing, however wasn’t but a part of any grand plan to interconnect the characters from Marvel’s “Avengers” comics. Its post-credits stinger that includes Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury was, Favreau has mentioned, simply meant to be a cute wink to followers reasonably than an announcement of intent. Likewise, Louis Leterrier’s “The Unbelievable Hulk” from the identical yr, whereas boasting a enjoyable cameo from “Iron Man” actor Robert Downey Jr., wasn’t but tied to any broad company plans. (It is since gotten a sequel of kinds within the type of “Captain America: Courageous New World.”) By 2009, nonetheless, Disney had bought Marvel and put the MCU into manufacturing in earnest, beginning with “Iron Man 2.”
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Ask any MCU fan, nonetheless, and they’ll inform you that “Iron Man 2” was, at finest, a rocky begin for the soon-to-be-dominant movie property. It spent far an excessive amount of time on promoting upcoming occasions and never sufficient time on the characters in entrance of us — and, golly, there have been many, many characters to maintain observe of. (It is little surprise Favreau swore off directing MCU films after this.) Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark and his would-be lover Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) returned whereas Don Cheadle performed James Rhodes, taking up the function from Terrence Howard. There was additionally Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff and two new villains performed by Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke. “Iron Man 2” is nobody’s favourite, and even its solid would inform you as a lot
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Working example: Rourke performed Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash, a Russian villain outfitted with highly effective electrical whips that may minimize automobiles in half. Though Rourke studied arduous for the function, he is admitted that “Iron Man 2” was a weak image general and that his character form of sucked. Chatting with CraveOnline in 2011 (as transcribed by Advanced), the actor mentioned that he tried to present Whiplash some texture and depth, however that, by studio mandate, he was saved one-dimensional and uninteresting.
Rourke felt that Whiplash was too one-dimensional
Plainly Whiplash was by no means meant to be terribly refined. Within the MCU, there are heroes and there are evil-doers, and most notions of moral ambiguity are ignored in favor of broadly basic ethical absolutes. Rourke did not have this dynamic defined to him, which was irritating. Marvel did not desire a dynamic, wealthy villain, however a snarling cartoon. As Rourke recalled:
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“You already know, I defined to [‘Iron Man 2’ co-writer Justin Theroux] and to Favreau that I needed to deliver another layers and colours, not simply make this Russian a whole murderous revenging dangerous man. They usually allowed me to do this. Sadly, the [people] at Marvel simply needed a one-dimensional dangerous man, so many of the efficiency ended up the ground.”
Rourke felt betrayed. He thought that “Iron Man 2” was presupposed to be completely different from a typical superhero film, increasing on the characters and never obsessing over expertise and interconnected, oversimplified comedian guide lore. As all of us now know, “Iron Man 2” was obsessive about lore, and actually existed solely to set the tone for movies that will observe it. Rourke, in the meantime, was visiting Russian prisons, studying the accent, and bringing new particulars to Whiplash to make him extra human and idiosyncratic. Ir was Rourke’s thought to present Whiplash a pet cockatoo, as an example.
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However Marvel wasn’t thinking about any of that, and that upset Rourke. As he put it:
“In the event that they need to make senseless comedian guide films, then I do not need to be part of that. I do not need to should care a lot and work so arduous, after which combat them for clever reasoning, and simply because they’re calling the photographs they … You already know, I did not work for 3 months on the accent and all of the changes and go to Russia simply so I might find yourself on the ground.”
Evidently, Whiplash hasn’t returned for any of the various, many different MCU films. (Sure, he died on the finish of “Iron Man 2,” however when has that ever stopped a Marvel character?) Rourke, it appears, felt the Home of Concepts did him a disservice.
