Iron Man poster
Iron Man

What’s Aged the Worst?

Billionaire fantasy; sequels; later MCU; facial hair; product placement; MySpace; workplace advances

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:54Read transcript
  • The MCU’s early achievement gives way to movies that increasingly feel like a chore.
  • This feels like one of the last movies where being a billionaire is uncomplicatedly cool rather than a sign of villainy.
  • Iron Man 2 disappoints; Iron Man 3 has an enthusiastic defender despite perceived fan resistance.
  • Stark’s unusually elaborate facial hair is criticized, with subsequent films’ toned-down version preferred.
  • Shameless Burger King and Audi placements age poorly but are also funny enough to count positively.
  • The MySpace reference dates the film.
  • Stark’s constant advances toward women, including his employee Pepper, feel conspicuously pre-MeToo and raise workplace-boundary questions.