Iron Man 2 Gears Up Production; New Details Emerge
Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 4, 2009
It seems fitting that I just sat down to watch Iron Man this evening, as Iron Man 2 begins principal photography on Monday. I don’t make a point of watching it all the time, but after I discovered that one of my house guests hadn’t seen it, the next step was a no-brainer. And here’s what I learned: upon a seventeenth viewing, it is clear that Terrance Howard was a weak link in the chain, and that Don Cheadle could very well bring the character of Col. Rhodes up to where Robert Downey Jr. has taken Tony Stark.
As well, the first film was a lot of fun, but it needed more action — it’s akin to the way I felt about Batman Begins in relation to The Dark Knight. So when I read that Robert Downey Jr. told ET Online this week that the sequel will have “twice as much action as we did last time, so it’s going to be nuts,” I’m instantly sold. He also mentioned that the film will be focused more on character, especially the one behind the mask. “Essentially Iron Man 2 is about looking behind the armor, or the armature, of a superhero,” Downey explained while doing press for The Soloist. “It’s one thing to say you’re Iron Man, it’s another thing to be fully ready to do that.”
He was also asked by the folks at MTV about the famous “demon in a bottle” storyline. For non-fans, this is the storyline in which Tony Stark’s alcoholism and deviant behavior begin to affect his role as Iron Man, creating a situation in which he alone becomes his own worst enemy. According to Downey, this is best left for future films: “I think that’s probably best saved,” Downey tells MTV, “because it’s such its own storyline. We’re going for the interim space [between the origin and "Demon"], which is more a look behind the mask of someone who says he’s Iron Man and what it really is to become a superhero.”
Finally, Downey also gave us an update on the physical shape of Scarlett Johansson, who has been tapped to play Natalia Romanoff a.k.a Black Widow, a sexy leather-wearing super-spy with questionable intentions and even more intriguing methods. The nature of her storyline and how it fits in with the storylines of characters such as Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and Whiplash (Mickey Rourke). According to Downey’s interview with ET, she will be fitting into some tight clothes for our viewing pleasure: “We’ve been rehearsing and she’s in insane shape. She’s getting lean and mean.” And as much as I love to talk about how great Emily Blunt would be as Black Widow, I’m certainly not opposed to seeing Scarlett in that particular costume. As for the rest — as in, her performance — I’m sticking to my guns and trusting that Jon Favreau guy. I know he has my fanback.
As for the rest of the story details, I’m sure that some of you will be disappointed in the delaying of the “demon in a bottle” storyline, but I wouldn’t get too upset just yet. If its true, then there’s probably a good reason for it. If its not true and its all diversion to keep us guessing — which is fine if you ask me — then you’ll all be pleasantly surprised. Either way, I’m just happy to see some production underway. And I’m ready to follow closely as Jon Favreua Twitters through the whole damn thing.
Iron Man 2 is currently set for a May 7, 2010 release.
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