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Iron Man

year 2008decade 00sdirector Jon Favreaugenre Actiongenre Science fiction

126 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Robert Downey Jr. Tony Stark
Terrence Howard Col. James Rhodey Rhodes
Jeff Bridges Obadiah Stane
Gwyneth Paltrow Virginia Pepper Potts
Leslie Bibb Christine Everhart
Shaun Toub Ho Yinsen
Clark Gregg Agent Philip Coulson
Bill Smitrovich General Gabriel
Sayed Badreya Abu Bakaar
Paul Bettany Jarvis
Jon Favreau Hogan
Peter Billingsley William Ginter Riva
Tim Guinee Major Allen
Will Lyman Award ceremony narrator
Tom Morello Guard
Marco Khan Guard
Ido Ezra Guard
Kevin Foster Jimmy
Garrett Noel Pratt
Ahmed Ahmed Ahmed
Gerard Sanders Howard Stark
Tim Rigby Viper 1
Nazanin Boniadi Amira Ahmed
Thomas Craig Plumer Colonel Craig
Robert Berkman Dealer at craps table
Stacy Stas Woman at craps table
Lauren Scyphers Woman at craps table
Dr. Frank Nyi Engineer
Marvin Jordan Air Force officer
Jim Cramer Himself
Donna Evans Merlo Woman in SUV
Reid Harper Kid in SUV
Ava Rose Williams Kid in SUV
Vladimir Kubr Kid in SUV
Javan Tahir Gulmira kid
Sahar Bibiyan Gulmira mom
Adam Harrington Reporter
Meera Simhan Reporter
Ben Newmark Reporter
Ricki Noel Lander Flight attendant
Jeannine Kaspar Flight attendant
Sarah Cahill Flight attendant
Stan Lee Himself
Justin Rex Air Force lieutenant
Zorianna Kit Herself
Lana Kinnear Stan's girl
Nicole Lindeblad Stan's girl
Masha Lund Stan's girl
Gabrielle Tuite Stan's girl
Tim Griffin CAOC analyst
Joshua Harto CAOC analyst
Micah Hauptman CAOC analyst
James Bethea CAOC analyst
Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury

Iron Man | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Van Lathan
Explore episodeClose episode

Producer credits not yet identified.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Development and financing; casting; improvisation; marketing; effects; comics changes

In the discussion (22)
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:49Read transcript
  • The film reportedly took nearly eighteen years to reach production.
  • Tarantino reportedly briefly considered involvement in Iron Man in the late 1990 s.
  • Stan Lee reportedly deliberately made Iron Man a rich Cold War weapons industrialist whom his readers should dislike, then made them like him.
  • Film rights reportedly moved from Universal to Fox and New Line before returning to Marvel in 2005; Marvel borrowed against its new studio plan and made a Paramount deal before Disney bought it.
  • Favreau reportedly lost seventy pounds for his small role.
  • Favreau imagined an Altman-directed Superman about an adult man reinventing himself.
  • Favreau linked Stark’s struggles to Downey’s public life and insisted on casting him over Marvel’s objections, for a reported$500,000 fee.
  • An unfinished script led to substantial improvisation; Bridges disliked the uncertainty and likened it to an expensive student film.
  • The film reportedly earned$585.8 million and ranked eighth in 2008; the machine transcript’s budget unit is unclear.
  • The Ultimates reportedly modeled Nick Fury on Jackson, who agreed on condition he could play the film version.
  • The Fury scene was reportedly removed from preview screenings to protect the reveal despite online rumors.
  • Musk reportedly gave Favreau and Downey a SpaceX tour during development.
  • The Mandarin was an intended original villain; later films used a fake Kingsley version and Killian before Shang-Chi revisited the Ten Rings, with the sequel numbering initially confused.
  • Favreau reportedly chose Los Angeles to distinguish the setting from East Coast superhero films.
  • The marketing campaign coordinated Sega, Hasbro, 7-Eleven, LG, Burger King and Audi.
  • DVD sales are described as a late peak, with $160 million earned excluding Blu-ray.
  • This was reportedly Stan Winston’s last film before his death.
  • The first suit reportedly weighed ninety pounds.
  • The man asking Stark about Afghanistan is reportedly Billie Eilish’s father; the claim is explicitly presented as internet research.
  • This is described as the only Iron Man film without martial-arts fights.
  • The reporter’s comic-book newspaper was changed from the Daily Bugle because of Sony’s rights.
  • Animators reportedly studied vertical-wind-tunnel skydivers; the unsteady repulsor flight looks convincingly physical.

Recasting Couch

Clooney as Stark; McAdams or Johansson as reporter; Chastain or Yellowstone’s Beth as Pepper (timing concerns)

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:58Read transcript
  • Damon would make a different movie, DiCaprio is considered too young and Clooney only a possibility; Downey’s real-life experience seems necessary to Stark.
  • Clooney is seriously considered as a plausible Stark if willing to take a small initial fee, with his prior superhero experience an obstacle; Downey remains preferable.
  • McAdams or Johansson could enlarge the reporter role; Johansson’s later Black Widow casting is dismissed as irrelevant to casting this movie alone.
  • Chastain is an intriguing Pepper alternative, then reconsidered because her recognizable breakthrough came later.
  • The actress playing Beth in Yellowstone is suggested as Pepper, with similar timing concerns and praise for her Flight performance.

Casting What-Ifs

Cage; Cruise; Tarantino; Whedon; Cassavetes; Rockwell; McAdams; Howard’s sequel departure

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:22Read transcript
  • Cage reportedly showed interest in 1997.
  • Cruise reportedly showed interest in 1998.
  • Tarantino reportedly considered involvement in 1999.
  • Whedon was reportedly approached during New Line development.
  • Cassavetes was reportedly approached in 2004.
  • Favreau initially wanted Rockwell, but Downey’s screen test settled the lead.
  • McAdams reportedly declined Pepper before later joining Doctor Strange; Pepper is considered the better opportunity.
  • Howard reportedly had a three-film agreement and the highest initial pay, but left after a lower sequel offer; rumored performance friction is distinguished from the panel’s own appreciation of his work and uncertainty about the dispute.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:23Read transcript
  • Ebert gave four stars, praising Downey’s unexpected performance as the power behind the film and Favreau’s approach.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Captivity sequence; first forty minutes and Mark I escape

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:43Read transcript
  • The opening six minutes immediately engage through Stark’s convoy banter, the attack and the backward introduction to his life.
  • The first Mark I suit escape is another nominated scene, distinguished from later flight tests.
  • Yinsen’s sacrifice and the crude suit breaking apart make the Mark I escape an especially enjoyable action sequence.
  • Beginning with action before the origin story is praised for quickly engaging audiences unfamiliar with a comparatively B-list comic character.
  • Pepper dismissing the Vanity Fair reporter establishes her authority; her trash-removal comeback is a favorite despite not being the ultimate scene choice.
  • Tony’s press conference is nominated.
  • Pepper replacing the chest device is funny and impressively convincing, with the intimate effects never feeling obviously artificial.
  • The new suit’s flight test, icing problem and crash through the floors are nominated.
  • The return to Afghanistan and near shoot-down are another nominated sequence.
  • Pepper downloading evidence while Obadiah approaches uses a reliably tense countdown device.
  • The final Iron Monger fight is considered less exciting than the beginning; Tony’s past is the real villain, making the external confrontation somewhat anticlimactic.
  • The entire captivity sequence is one final choice because a victim of Stark’s weapons saves him and changes his perspective.
  • The first forty minutes, particularly activating unfamiliar equipment, are the other preferred stretch.
  • The Fury after-credits reveal is belatedly nominated as the perfect extra pleasure after an already excellent movie.

Picking Nits

Captors’ plan; Malibu traffic; cheeseburger; chest device; security; grooming; dating; phone reception; Obadiah’s armor proficiency

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:59Read transcript
  • Giving the world’s greatest weapons engineer the equipment to build his captors a weapon is an obviously self-defeating plan, despite Obadiah’s presumed goal.
  • Characters reach the remote Malibu house implausibly fast from downtown Los Angeles without traffic.
  • Burger King is questioned as Stark’s post-captivity choice when a true Los Angeles resident might prefer In-N-Out; waiting time and enthusiasm for the chain are disputed.
  • Yinsen performing the chest-device surgery alone strains plausibility, though a counterargument asks for the same suspension of disbelief as the desert-built armor.
  • Stark personally demonstrating weapons in a war zone with minimal protection seems unnecessary; the panel acknowledges not knowing real demonstration practice.
  • His carefully maintained facial hair after months in captivity is implausible, although a little scruff is noted.
  • Returning without consulting a heart specialist seems reckless; the defense cites his refusal of hospital care and exceptional engineering confidence.
  • Rapid Malibu-to-downtown driving ignores normal traffic; Carmageddon and early COVID are remembered as rare real exceptions.
  • Pepper remaining single is questioned; romantic patience is the offered explanation, with imagined suitors illustrating the disbelief.
  • Clear phone reception while flying at extreme speed is questioned, then defended as a minor capability compared with a flying suit.
  • Visitors seem to enter the house too easily; familiar visitors have clearance, while Fury’s espionage expertise explains his intrusion.
  • An apparent absence of Stark’s heart is explicitly corrected: the device keeps fragments from reaching his existing heart, rather than replacing it.
  • The chest opening still looks excessively large; the distinction between the arc reactor and his functioning heart is reiterated.
  • Obadiah seems instantly able to use armor that took Stark weeks to learn; prior practice is proposed but challenged because he only just obtained the power source.

What’s Aged the Best?

Ending; Howard chemistry; Pepper relationship; house; Fury reveal; music; spy gadget

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:40Read transcript
  • The final I am Iron Man line was reportedly improvised by Downey.
  • Downey and Howard’s scenes sell an authentic friendship rather than merely asserting loyalty.
  • Pepper’s loyal care and patience are defended as a romantic comedy and true love inside the superhero film.
  • A counterargument challenges the fantasy of a woman waiting indefinitely while a wealthy playboy does whatever he wants.
  • The hero walking through a hot desert awaiting rescue is a reliably effective movie image.
  • Jim Cramer’s television reaction to a weapons company that stops making weapons is funny.
  • Stark’s lively, technologically responsive Malibu home is preferred to Wayne Manor’s inherited grandeur.
  • Bridges’s bald, bearded villain is enjoyed as a rare departure from his usual hero roles, with The Vanishing recalled.
  • The Nick Fury after-credits reveal and Avengers promise generated exceptional excitement and signaled a larger plan.
  • The heavy-metal guitar score gives the film distinctive energy compared with traditional superhero scoring.
  • The MCU simultaneously aged best through unprecedented growth and worst through later films becoming a chore.
  • The home, Jarvis and garage display outstanding rich-guy fantasy.
  • Obadiah’s incapacitating gadget is belatedly praised as an enjoyable spy-movie device.

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.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Marvel’s casting pattern; Clooney needed this role

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:59Read transcript
  • A provocative take claims Marvel stopped casting lighter-skinned Black men in major roles after Howard and his replacement by Cheadle; it is presented as an observation rather than a demonstrated hiring policy.
  • Mackie, the Doctor Strange role, Henry and Black Panther are considered while testing the claim; the speaker expressly does not believe Marvel is doing it deliberately.
  • Clooney’s mid-2000 s career is argued to need a blockbuster like Iron Man; a counterargument recalls a previous superhero film nearly ruining his career.
  • Clooney is considered able to play a damaged Danny Ocean with toys, although Downey remains better and Ocean is considered cooler.

Apex Mountain

Downey; Favreau; Apogee awards; Malibu houses

In the discussion (20)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:03Read transcript
  • Downey receives a yes; Endgame is proposed but rejected because the original created his greatest new career leverage.
  • Favreau initially receives a yes.
  • Favreau’s jump from smaller films to A-list directing reinforces the yes; affection for Chef and Made remains separate.
  • Howard’s peak is placed earlier around Hustle & Flow and Crash.
  • Paltrow receives no.
  • Bridges receives no.
  • The Apogee awards receive a joking yes.
  • Ten Rings is assigned to Shang-Chi.
  • Ray’s Pizza is mentioned with Elf as another appearance.
  • Downey’s Hollywood comeback is considered among the greatest but initially not the largest.
  • Fraser is raised as a competing comeback.
  • Affleck’s Argo recovery is proposed, then challenged because Downey’s fall involved more than poor films.
  • Elizabeth Taylor is raised as an earlier comeback comparison.
  • Rourke’s Wrestler recovery is raised, with its life-altering significance questioned.
  • Bette Davis, Rita Hayworth and Taylor are tentative earlier-era comparisons.
  • Brando’s pre-Godfather recovery is considered a strong comparison.
  • Keaton is also raised.
  • Travolta is judged the strongest Hollywood comeback.
  • Comic-Con is a tentative Apex possibility, but Avengers is also offered; the convention’s later commercialization complicates nostalgia.
  • The Malibu house is the clear movie-house peak, possibly extending beyond Malibu to all film houses.

Best Race Horse Name from This Movie

Jericho; Tony Stark; Pepper Potts; Ironmonger

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:47Read transcript
  • Jericho is proposed.
  • Tony Stark is proposed.
  • Pepper Potts is proposed as a good filly name.
  • Ironmonger sounds dangerously aggressive toward other horses.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Pepper’s neighborhood and salary; Jarvis and AI

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:40Read transcript
  • Pepper’s commute between Malibu and downtown prompts Beverlywood, Culver City, Santa Monica and Pico/La Cienega suggestions before settling on Cheviot Hills.
  • Salary guesses range from half a million to a million dollars, with unrestricted resources or bargaining power more important than a precise figure.
  • Her knowledge of Stark’s behavior could make marriage easier or become ammunition for later arguments.
  • Jarvis’s apparent anticipation of conversational AI leads to an explanation of his transformation into Vision and relationship with Scarlet Witch.

Best Double Feature

The Dark Knight

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:55Read transcript
  • The Dark Knight is selected for a 2008 superhero double feature.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Framed chest device; Obadiah’s sound device

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:11Read transcript
  • The framed device is wanted; its survival and later appearance are discussed uncertainly, while the inscription about Stark having a heart is both affectionate and a backhanded compliment.
  • The suit and house are obvious possibilities; the framed device receives agreement.
  • Obadiah’s incapacitating sound device is the other final choice.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Do not sell weapons; recognize Pepper’s devotion

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:25Read transcript
  • Avoid making weapons, or at least keep them to oneself rather than selling them.
  • Recognize Pepper’s devotion and settle the relationship; a response notes the later films do resolve it.

Who Won the Movie?

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:54Read transcript
  • The opening choice between Downey and Marvel develops into an explicit tie: Downey’s success is enormous, while Marvel creates a universe.
  • The separate invited response leans toward Downey given his starting position; the performance defines him for a younger generation.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Robert Downey Jr.
Speaker not identified
Marvel
Speaker not identified
Robert Downey Jr.

Producer review

Better on rewatch; Marvel mirrors Stark’s profiteering

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:50Read transcript
  • The invited contributor is not a devoted Marvel follower and likes the film more now than around its original release.
  • A comparison argues Marvel spread and oversaturated superheroes for profit much as Stark Industries marketed weapons; the group extends the analogy to its executives.

More from the conversation

Simmons and Lathan distinguish Iron Man as the bedrock of the modern shared superhero universe from earlier Superman and Batman films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:35Read transcript
Childhood Batman and Superman memories lead through action heroes, Burton Batman and Raimi Spider-Man to a perceived mid-2000s genre slump.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:24Read transcript
The film’s contained moral reckoning is praised against increasingly cosmic franchise stakes: a profiteer becomes a hero before sequels complicate his world.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:51Read transcript
Unconventional casting and Favreau’s personal approach feel more authentic than later franchise planning; Guardians of the Galaxy3 is praised for character-centered freedom.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:23Read transcript
A reported Baby Yoda mandate illustrates commercial demands distorting franchise storytelling; Favreau and Whedon departures are linked to creative constraints.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:02Read transcript
The weapons, Middle Eastern antagonists and double-crosses evoke Bush–Cheney-era war-on-terror politics.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:05Read transcript
Downey’s early quirky roles, Chaplin nomination, addiction struggles and Ally McBeal comeback lead through Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Zodiac to the breakthrough2008 pairing of Iron Man and Tropic Thunder.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:02Read transcript
Josh Hamilton provides an imperfect sports analogy for Downey’s recovery; his belated success and lived experience deepen the public response and Tony Stark’s characterization.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:12Read transcript
The casting announcement initially suggested adapting Demon in a Bottle; instead Downey’s mixture of emotion, comedy and recognizably flawed heroism is argued to define the entire MCU’s tone.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:33Read transcript
Iron Man and The Dark Knight are favorite but very different superhero films; The Dark Knight is judged greater filmmaking, Iron Man more influential. Superman2 prompts nostalgic and bawdy tangents.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:31Read transcript
The money and recurring Stark appearances may have constrained Downey’s other ambitions; The Soloist and The Judge suggest a continuing desire for acting recognition.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:05Read transcript
An unnamed investor’s empty Las Vegas screening gave a misleading scare before a sold-out Los Angeles show; the anecdote illustrates Marvel assembling financing without a guaranteed hit.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:46Read transcript
Stark remains recognizably funny and flawed after his conversion; Howard’s Hustle & Flow and Crash success supplied important casting credibility.
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:05Read transcript
The unfamiliar-suit comedy recalls The Greatest American Hero, leading to William Katt and television-theme nostalgia.
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:57Read transcript
The Fury reveal invites sports comparisons; George Foreman’s planned but astonishing knockout is preferred over ball steals and Hail Mary passes.
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:35Read transcript
Paltrow’s family television background leads to a defense of her and a tangent about Goop, celebrity lifestyle businesses and its cafe.
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:27Read transcript
A joking imagined Zuckerberg reaction to the MySpace reference escalates into a metaverse retaliation gag; no real behavior is established.
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:11Read transcript
A previous Knocked Up abortion hot take is recalled as the show’s most provocative example.
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:37Read transcript
Kingsley’s roles in Searching for Bobby Fischer and Species prompt prospective episode ideas and recollections.
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:54Read transcript
Escalating superhero mythology strains one viewer’s willingness to accept the universe’s rules; Superman losing his powers remains a childhood frustration.
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:10Read transcript
Stark’s marriage, child and death surprise a viewer who has not followed the Avengers; imagined true-or-false Marvel lessons lead to Damon’s Thor and comedy cameos.
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:39Read transcript
Concise observations inspire a joking one-paragraph podcast format; the ending credits an ambiguously transcribed producer and mentions Flight as a future possibility.
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:47Read transcript