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Now that the world knows that billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man, Tony seeks to underscore the benefits of the Iron Man suit by re-launching his late father's extravagant Stark Expo, a showcase for the humanitarian innovations inspired by its technology. As the U.S. government insists that Tony turn the revolutionary weapon over to the military, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a mysterious figure from the Stark family's past, sets out to destroy Tony by revealing his own devastating weapon based on Stark's technology. Overwhelmed on all fronts, while also facing his own personal demons, Tony must finally call on his allies - old and new - to help him confront the gathering forces that threaten to destroy him and all of mankind.
One of the original Marvel Comics, Iron Man has enjoyed a long and prosperous run dating back to the character's first appearance in the Marvel comic Tales of Suspense in April 1963. Iron Man's alter ego, Tony Stark, became an overnight film sensation on May 2nd, 2008 when the film grossed $98.6 million in its opening weekend on its way to an eventual take of more than $572 million worldwide. Fans and critics of all ages were enamored with the red and gold super hero. The film received many awards and accolades, including two Academy Award nominations, and “Iron Man” has since become part of the pop culture mainstream.
“We always want to stay true to the characters as written in the comics, but we also don't want to be afraid to take risks occasionally with our characters,” notes Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios and producer of “Iron Man 2.” “We believe our stories and characters are so strong that we can take chances. It was a risk to take a billionaire playboy and put him in an iron suit and have him fly around and save the world. That was not your typical story back in 1962, nor is it a typical story today. Those were factors that we knew we had to rise above and we couldn't have been prouder of the response that the fans had to the Iron Man character and film.”
“What triggered me to create a character like `Iron Man' was that I wanted to see something different from the usual super hero,” explains executive producer Stan Lee. “The character of Tony Stark is so glamorous, so successful, so virile, yet he has a very vulnerable side to him. When we first started writing and publishing the Iron Man comic books, we had more fan mail from females than any other comic book we had ever created. In those days, I think the women who read the comic books felt the same way about Tony Stark as the women who went to see the film and loved Robert Downey Jr. and the vulnerability that he brought to the character. People of all ages connect to the human side of this character.”
“The biggest compliment we received from people when the film came out was `I don't usually like comic book movies like these, but I loved `Iron Man'” says Feige. “I don't believe in `A' tier, `B' tier and `C' tier characters; it's up to us to make all the Marvel characters into successful film franchises because in the comic book world they already enjoy that status. We were thrilled with the success of `Iron Man' and that we were able to introduce the character in a way that was just as interesting and engaging outside of his costume as he was inside his suit of armor. That is a great compliment to Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau who were able to create a character who was an iconic film personality from the beginning of the film.”
The film's runaway worldwide box office and critical success even caught director Jon Favreau, and the outstanding cast of the film off-guard. “I think the first sense that we had something special was when we went on the international press tour and both the feedback and film reviews were extremely positive,” recalls Favreau. “But it really didn't hit us until we went around to movie theaters on opening weekend and watched how well audiences were reacting to the film. It was inspiring and extremely gratifying to see Robert beat the odds and, with the success of the film, come back bigger and better than he was before. That's the ultimate success story and it was oddly parallel to the character of Tony Stark. Sometimes when art imitates life, you can really catch lightning in a bottle.”
“The reason I decided to do the first movie was because I always wanted to work with Robert and I love Jon Favreau,” says Gwyneth Paltrow. “People initially questioned why I would be in a comic book film, but I thought it felt really natural and it was a great experience and so much fun. I was thrilled with the way it turned out, but I was a little taken aback by how big the film became. I don't normally do big action films, so it was really exciting the way fans responded to the film all over the world."
“It really feels good when you speak to people on the street and they say, `Iron Man's my favorite super hero because he feels like a real person,'” concludes executive producer Louis D'Esposito. “The film had great characters, a great story of redemption, and although there is tons of action and excitement, it felt like the super hero part was secondary, which really opened the film up to a much wider audience.”
And much of that had to do with the delicate balance struck by the film, according to the film's star Robert Downey Jr. “I think the tone of `Iron Man' was what made the movie a winner. There was this feeling that we took the subject matter seriously but didn't take ourselves too seriously. I remember even when I was testing for the film I knew it was really important for me to be able to demonstrate the sort of stoic and fiery side of Tony Stark, but to also be able to score with the humor.”
Preparing For A Sequel
With the worldwide success of “Iron Man” at the box office, director Favreau faced the inevitable challenge following up the beloved film with the second installment of the franchise.
“When we were shooting the first film, we weren't planning a sequel, but we were also aware that if things went well, there would be one; so we thought about what the big picture would be and what we were leading to in terms of story,” Favreau observes. “The challenge in developing `Iron Man 2' was how to stay true to what audiences enjoyed about the first film while at the same time raising the bar in every aspect - an interesting but sometimes difficult line to walk. If it gets too complicated, the sequel becomes overwrought and loses its light touch. But if you don't do anything more than you did the first time, it just feels like more of the same-so doing a sequel can be a mixed blessing.”
“The great thing about having Jon Favreau back at the helm is that we have a fantastic rapport because we've been together now for almost four years thinking and talking about the world of Iron Man,” says Feige. “We've developed a shorthand now, so most of the time we know what the other is thinking. Jon did an amazing job on the first film and we really followed his lead in terms of tone, texture and humor. When you see Tony Stark and his interaction as Iron Man, it is not just your hand-on-the-hip super hero. It is somebody who has wit and cynicism on one side and extreme optimism on the other; the character really is what he is because of two people, Jon Favreau and Robert Downey.”
“One of the great things that came from the success of the first film was that we had established a tone that was distinctively fresh and cool, so in preparing for the sequel it became `how do we keep that tone going?,'” notes co-producer Jeremy Latcham. “The tone is what really makes audiences feel like they're watching an `Iron Man' movie. It's really fun, it's edgy, but it's not brooding, nor is it cartoony or overly political. So one of our big goals in developing the story and characters was making sure everything was in line with the tone we established in the first film.”
“Once you establish the tone and characterizations and people love the character, it gives you a lot of freedom to jump into whatever stories you want to tell next,” mentions Feige. “Often times our favorite stories in the comics are ones that can't be done as an origin story, because they happen 200 or 300 issues into the series. But with a sequel, you can really take the gloves off because you already know what worked really well in the first film and can up the ante in those aspects. Having that kind of opportunity is one of the great joys in filmmaking.”
For Favreau and the filmmakers, developing the story for “Iron Man 2” started long before the first page of the script was written.
“The writing process on `Iron Man 2' was unique and began before there was a screenwriter brought on,” explains Favreau. “That tends to be the case with these types of movies because what happens is that Robert Downey, Kevin Feige, Jeremy Latcham and others all sit around and start discussing things like what interests us; where should the characters go; where should the next leg of the journey start; what should Tony's arc be, etc. So you begin to outline a basic story and break it down into scenes and set pieces. Then when you arrive at that point, the actual scriptwriting process can begin.”
For “Iron Man 2” the filmmakers selected Justin Theroux - an avowed life-long fan of the comic book super hero - to write the screenplay. Theroux had recently co-written (with Ben Stiller) the screenplay to the comedy hit “Tropic Thunder,” which had earned Downey an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor.
“What drew me to the project first and foremost was the opportunity to work with Robert Downey Jr. again,” Theroux admits. “It also helped that I was such a big fan of the comics and actually owned an Iron Man doll that had a little spandex outfit and little RT in the center that you could manipulate. Iron Man is a super hero who you feel could actually exist someday. He's not so far fetched; it seems possible that you could create an armored suit that could fly. That's what drew me in at a very early age.”
“In writing for Robert, I think of it as if I was writing for James Brown,” says Theroux. “James Brown was a musical savant in that he always knew what a song needed to work and Robert is the same way when it comes to writing scenes. He has a very organic way of approaching a character, and although I have a good understanding of his voice, I never try to jam words into his mouth that don't belong there. He inherently knows when there is the slightest hint of a false note in the script and is the first person to stop and say `We need to finesse this a bit.'” Downey pushed for Theroux to write the “Iron Man 2” script largely based on his experience on “Tropic Thunder.”
“The first thing about Theroux is that he is an artist and a renaissance man. On `Tropic Thunder,' I knew by the time we were shooting Act 3 that everything he'd set up earlier in the film had paid off. Also, I like his voice, his sense of humor and his take on things. He's very fluid. I just knew that he was our guy. And fortunately, everyone else agreed.”
In developing the storyline for “Iron Man 2,” the filmmakers had to decide what story elements and characters to draw from in the more than 600 issues of Iron Man comics Marvel has published over the past 42 years. For Favreau, having the opportunity to pick from any place he chose within the vast amount of source material was not without its pitfalls.
“When you have multiple characters in a film, it tends to get complicated, and I think many sequels fall short because they create too many layers of complication, both in character and in plot,” says Jon Favreau. “Plot is something I'm not particularly great at because I don't have a mindset for twisty, turny, maze-like stories. I'm more of a story guy, which I used to think was synonymous with plot, but it's really a different element of movie-making.”
The director continues, “Story has more to do with the arc of a character - where they begin and end, what challenges they face, and how they change. The progression of self-transformation usually has to do with having a moment of clarity in which you realize a change needs to be made and then committing to that. Inevitably, because we're human, we stumble and can fall off the path in the face of duress, which tends to make us regress to our old ways. In the case of Tony Stark, here's a person who is facing similar but different challenges than he did the first time around. In `Iron Man,' Tony probably should have slowed down, but he was inspired by the discoveries that he made in escaping captivity in the cave and his revelations about where he fits into the world.”
“When you have a lead character as rich as Tony Stark, you really want to explore the trials and tribulations of his life,” adds Feige. “We sent the audience a curve-ball at the end of the first film when Tony outed himself to the public in a way that no super hero has ever done before. That immediately sets up the tension and the conflict for this film and that's what we wanted to continue to explore. We didn't want to hide from that fact that Tony Stark is Iron Man. Throughout the comic series, people know who Tony is and we didn't want to be shackled by the notion of secret identities; so in outing Tony at the end of the first film, we opened the door to wherever we wanted to go.”
”One of the massive advantages we have is stacks and stacks of Marvel Comics with some of the best stories ever told,” says co-producer Latcham. “During the development of the script for the first film there were many scenes, characters and suits that were our personal favorites, but we said, `Let's save it for next time' because it felt like too much to introduce on top of all of the things we had to establish to acclimate the audience. All those elements we banked from our original research we now had at our disposal and Justin did a great job of incorporating many of them into the screenplay without sacrificing the tone we had established and wanted to maintain.”
Among the challenges Theroux faced in the initial stages of the script writing process was finding a jumping-off point for the complex character of Tony Stark. “What's unique about this sequel is that (in the first film) we left Tony in real-time,” says Theroux. “He is now out of the closet as a super hero; so right off the bat, we knew addressing that matter was the first nut we had to crack. How do you take a guy who has a personal life - as well as a celebrity life - and create a world around him? So we created events, places and newsreels to sort of really give him a well-rounded resume for what he has been doing since the end of the first movie and how people have reacted to him.”
Theroux continues, “We also had to rectify what to do when a private citizen, even a really rich and powerful one, comes up with something that has the ability to tip the balance of power, not just nationally, but globally. Initially we thought it was going to be difficult to solve, but it actually gave us a bigger platform and playground for the character and made him more interesting and likeable. Tony has to balance that line of celebrity and hero, and what happens when you say to the world `I am Iron Man.' What does that statement buy you and what problems does it present?“ For the filmmakers, the answers to those questions proved to be extremely fertile ground in the development of “Iron Man 2.”
“After discussing the many different avenues where we could go, we decided to have the film begin six months after Tony's infamous press conference,” Favreau explains. “In that time period, Tony has been the subject of a lot of publicity and he's been trying to figure out what to do with Stark Industries because he isn't manufacturing weapons anymore. If he was the most famous man in America after the first film, he's definitely the most famous man in the world in the new one.”
The overwhelming success of “Iron Man” also catapulted its star, Robert Downey Jr., back into the rank of worldwide movie star.
“I think people who didn't know who `Iron Man' was were intrigued by the fact that Robert Downey was playing the character,” Favreau contends. “He is an amazingly talented actor and I think people were waiting for him to do the right project. It was one of those situations where the material and the actor married well and probably my single largest contribution to `Iron Man' was recognizing that connection and making it happen. Robert really delivered and put to rest any doubts about how serious he was about being a movie star and being a major player in Hollywood.”
For Downey, who followed “Iron Man” with award-winning performances in the box office hits “Tropic Thunder” and “Sherlock Holmes,” the opportunity to continue playing the eccentric billionaire industrialist Tony Stark was one he truly appreciated.
“Since the end of the first film, the general public has grown to love Tony Stark because he has kept the world a very stable, peaceful place; but the government is threatened by him because he doesn't really answer to anybody,” explains Favreau. “It's worked out well so far, but it's a big point of concern to have a powerful armored suit that is capable of mass destruction in the hands of a private citizen who they don't consider to be the most stable guy.”
The director continues, “We felt there was an opportunity to show Tony Stark as someone who could capture the imagination of not just Americans, but people around the world, and could be a unifying force.”
Downey traces the evolution of Tony Stark's life from the end of the first film to the beginning of “Iron Man 2.” “In the first film Tony was in this kind of nether-world, somebody who needed to be put in check. By the time `Iron Man 2' starts you're essentially seeing Tony's persona, and he's showing that persona to everything and everyone around him because he doesn't want them to know that anything has changed. But a lot has changed, and he's really in quite a desperate way. The hero's journey is really what he's not telling people, not what he's doing with or without a suit on. And that extends to his own emotional insecurity by not really being able to share it with Pepper.”
The actor continues: “In the interim Tony has noticed that the shelf life on his battery is nearing his expiration date. So, he's been spending a lot of time working on a renewable energy source. We also left off on the first film with Tony and the military having a somewhat uneasy relationship, though when he comes in and does something right they back him up. I'm sure Rhodey has had a lot to do with that. And I think there's also been some climbing tension between him and Rhodey.”
Keeping Tony in line as well as being the voice of reason and stability at Stark Industries is his trustworthy and indispensable executive assistant Virginia “Pepper” Potts. Never one to turn her back on her eccentric boss in the face of adversity, Pepper is rewarded for years of loyal service to Stark Industries when she is promoted to CEO of Stark Industries. Returning in the role is Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow.
“When the movie starts, Pepper and Tony are very much in their same vibe and dynamic," says Paltrow. “They have a great banter and good chemistry, but he is still her boss. As the movie progresses, Pepper is actually given more responsibility and promoted to CEO of Stark Industries, so it's nice to see her grow in that way. I think her new position really fits her well because she has been running the day-to-day business at the company for a long time. She's a good girl and a very grounded person, which is why she is able to handle all of the curveballs that Tony is constantly throwing her way.”
“In a moment of clarity and brilliance, Tony promotes Pepper to CEO of Stark Industries and gives her the full run and control of the company,” notes executive producer D'Esposito. “This is a big step for her and Tony. But after she moves into her new position, a distance begins to grow between them. He's off in his workshop building new suits, dealing with all the conflicts in the film while she's in the office trying to manage the company. It's not an easy transition because she is suddenly responsible for the whole company and the manner in which Tony conducts his business has an even greater impact on her.”
“The relationship between Tony and Pepper could have been so many things and what it ended up being is so rich, so emotional, so engaging, that you really want to see them together; but they haven't been able to come together yet,” adds producer Feige. “The charged dynamic between them works and that's what we wanted to continue. At the end of the first film, Tony starts to reference that night they almost kissed and Pepper says, `Oh, the night you didn't get me my drink and you left me standing up there-let's not talk about it.' They still haven't talked about it six months later, but it's influenced their interactions with one another.”
Another familiar face in the Iron Man legacy is Tony's good friend, Lieutenant Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes. While the duo has always enjoyed a very symbiotic relationship, Stark Industries' new direction and Tony's refusal to turn in his Iron Man suits to the military has caused a strain in their relationship.
“Tony doesn't make weapons anymore, so Rhodey's role as liaison to Stark Industries for the U.S. military doesn't exist anymore,” explains Feige. “Their relationship is getting more and more strained by Tony's actions. Rhodey is a very loyal friend but, at the same time, he's not going to allow himself to be put in a bad position between the government and Tony. He is also one of the few people other than Pepper who will tell Tony the truth and call him out on some of his more eccentric actions.”
The producer continues: “They see each other for the first time in a very public setting and there are things that Tony believes are right that Rhodey just can't support. Tony can't ascend to where he needs to be without Rhodey's help and, by extension, Rhodey has the chance to become much more of a hero than he ever thought he could be.”
Taking on the role of Lt. Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes in “Iron Man 2” is Academy Award® nominee Don Cheadle, who has been a lifelong fan of Marvel Comics.
“Growing up, I loved Marvel Comics and was into the XMen and Iron Man,” says Cheadle. “I always loved those characters because they were all very fallible people who found their way through whatever particular mission they were trying to deal with at the time. To me, it was really interesting to have characters who were painted that way and were not just black and white.”
The actor continues: “In this film, Rhodey takes much more of an ownership, not only of Tony's suits, but the responsibilities and duties of someone with that kind of power. Tony is a bit of a playboy and doesn't take things all that seriously sometimes and Rhodey's bone of contention is `You've got this incredible technology, so what are you doing with it?'”
“Don Cheadle is a very intelligent, very talented guy, who asked a lot of smart, tough questions, and that's my favorite kind of actor,” says Favreau. “He's not someone who questions things just for the sake of asking questions. He actually has a point of view and is curious about things, and whenever Don was curious about something it usually turned out to be because it was a beat in a scene that wasn't totally thought through.”
“Don has great natural chemistry with Robert and can go toe to toe with him in a way that his character needs to in the film,” adds co-producer Latcham. “When we were at ComicCon last July, it was really satisfying to see the fans welcome Don to this franchise.”
Says Downey: “Don is too evolved as a person and as an actor to just pick up where someone left off. He chose to be true to the character and the seriousness of the story, which shows a lot of discipline since he's an actor with so much natural charm. Of course, as it turns out, he still pulls off some great lines in the movie.”
“With Pepper Potts being promoted to CEO of Stark Industries, a replacement must be found. Enter Natalie Rushman, a sexy new employee at Stark Industries whom Tony immediately appoints as his new assistant when she walks in on him during a sparring session with Happy Hogan.
“Once Pepper is promoted to CEO, Tony needs a new assistant and somebody to run his day-to-day life for him,” explains Feige. “Natalie is a paralegal who comes into the room with paperwork for Pepper to sign. She clearly catches Tony's eye and he essentially hires her on the spot. Next time we see her, she's acting as his assistant in Monaco, but everything is not as it seems and she's there for a specific reason, which we later find out has to do with her alter ego Black Widow.”
Playing both the character of Natalie and later slipping into the sexy Lycra suit of Black Widow is Scarlett Johansson. “When `Iron Man' came out my mom saw the film and loved it,” recalls Scarlett Johansson. “I thought `Wow, my mom doesn't know anything about comics and if the film spans a wide age demographic then it must be really good.' I went to see the film and was blown away by the story and how charming it was. The action was great, but it also was romantic, funny, clever and witty. It was just a great film. So when I heard that there was a possible part in the second installment, I was all over it and determined to be in the film.”
“There is this whole other world that Marvel is chomping at the bit to explore in (the upcoming) `Avengers,' so we wanted to set that up and make sure that we really dialed in those characters,” says screenwriter Theroux. “With the character of Natalie, a.k.a. Black Widow, we needed someone who could get entry into Tony's life and be a mole on the inside. We couldn't have Nick Fury just show up again in the living room and say, `Hey, I'm here in the story again. ` We needed to have something a little more planned out and someone who could feed Tony information or give him things that could help him in his quest to fix himself. Black Widow is a character that any red-blooded male is going to love and Scarlett was the perfect person to fill those shoes.”
“This character could have been the temptress that comes in and tries to break up the foundation of Tony's world, but she has a specific motivation, which adds a little bit of spark between the characters,” says Johansson. “She knows something about Tony that Pepper doesn't know and that in itself contributes a certain dynamic that goes deeper than just sexual chemistry and tension.”
“It's great having another female character in the film because it adds a whole other layer in terms of Tony and Pepper,” Paltrow mentions. “There's always something that gets in the way and keeps them from getting together romantically and Natalie is this young, gorgeous bombshell who immediately catches Tony's eye and throws Pepper off her course. It makes it really fun to play and we're very fortunate to have Scarlett in the film because she's a really great actress.”
“There was some initial resistance to Scarlett playing the role in the fanboy community because she hadn't done an action film before, but what appealed to me the most in casting Scarlett was her dedication and intelligence,” says Favreau. “I think you need smart people in a movie like this because there's too much up for grabs and there are too many things that change, so you need somebody who is going to be a steward of their character.”
The director continues: “Scarlett assured me that she would work as hard as she needed to do all of the stunts and physical work in the film. True to her word, she was completely dedicated when it came to spending countless hours in preparing for all of the physical work and looking her best in the Black Widow costume.”
For Johansson, seeing the Black Widow costume for the first time was both frightening and highly motivating. “I knew it was going to be some kind of sexy unitard, because I had researched the character in the comics,” she says. “I've never worn anything like it before, so I had a freak-out moment that lasted about half a day, but then I said `Okay, time to suck it up' and just went full force into getting in shape to wear the costume and perform the physical action so it looked just right.”
In preproduction, Johansson went through a rigorous training program under the supervision of stunt coordinator Tommy Harper.
“Scarlett did an amazing amount of training in preparing for this film,” says Harper. “She had never done anything remotely like what was required here, so we basically started from ground zero. We did wind sprints, stretching and kicking and she really put her heart into it from day one. I have worked with a lot of great actresses who have put in great efforts, but the time and dedication that Scarlett put forth during preproduction was second to none.”
“Black Widow is an expert in hand-to-hand combat, she's a mixed martial artist, has a dance and gymnastics background, so she combines all of these aspects into one kick-ass fighting machine,” notes Johansson. "So I dedicated myself to putting in the hours, repetitions, and training with the stunt team until I felt comfortable that I could sell each particular move.”
One of Tony Stark's new adversaries in “Iron Man 2” is a mysterious Russian technology expert named Ivan Vanko, a.k.a. Whiplash. For the filmmakers it was important to keep the character grounded in reality.
“We didn't want to go too mystical with this character, because there are things you can do in comics that you can't necessarily do in film,” says D'Esposito. “You don't want to make your villains too powerful to the point of unbelievability, so we went through the entire catalogue of source material and said `What character would have the most dynamic cinematic presence?' We decided on Whiplash, a character who could be updated and grounded in technology - specifically Tony's technology. So it's actually a great compliment to Tony saying `I am Iron Man,' and then having another character saying `Well I've got that too, and I should be Iron Man.'”
In casting the role, the filmmakers selected Mickey Rourke, who was coming off an Academy Award®-nominated performance in “The Wrestler,” and someone who was familiar with Russian culture.
“In the film, the character of Ivan represents a dark side of Tony's past,” says Favreau. “There is something cool and retro about having a Russian villain and Mickey Rourke had spent some time there and was intrigued by the idea.”
“Ivan Vanko is a dark, tattooed, dangerous figure which really was perfect for Mickey's sensibilities,” adds D'Esposito. “It also seems that the criminals who come out of Russia are a little more hard-boiled than the softer criminals from the United States, which also added a layer of ferocity to the character.”
For Rourke, preparing for the role included a trip to Russia. “Well, the character is Russian, so I went to Russia and spent some time there,” Rourke admits. “I spent time in a prison so I could understand how the whole underground system operated. I also studied the art of prison tattoos and we added scenes of Ivan in his cell where you see all the tattoos covering his entire body and you learn that they all have a particular meaning, which gives you real insight into the character.”
The actor continues: “It was quite challenging learning to speak Russian because the language is very hard to wrap an English tongue around. I worked with my dialect coach three hours a day, six days a week just to learn how to speak a paragraph of Russian dialogue.”
When Tony Stark refuses to turn over his technology and announces that Stark Industries will no longer manufacture and supply the military with its weapons, it opens the door for the fast-talking Justin Hammer, whose company, Hammer Industries, is vying to become the new go-to player in the weapons manufacturing game.
“At one point very early on in the development of the script, Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer were one character, a weapons creator, who was Tony's Russian counterpart,” explains Theroux. “We soon realized it was too much and we needed to split the atom and make it two separate characters. We went to the source material and Justin Hammer was an older guy so we decided to make him more approachable because we wanted someone who could play the yang to Tony's yin. In Justin Hammer we were looking for a cheaper sort of polyester version of Tony Stark - a guy who is able to fill the void as soon as Tony stops making weapons, but has an ambulance-chasing lawyer vibe.”
Favreau elaborates: “Justin Hammer is a notch below Tony Stark, but he fancies himself as being on the same level. He is extremely competitive with Tony and even though he has more money than he knows what to do with, he is haunted by the fact that there is somebody out there who is better than him. In desperation, Justin reaches out to Ivan Vanko after he is incarcerated for attacking Tony using Stark Industry technology - a technology that he knows he himself can't create but recognizes the talent in others who can help him.”
In casting the role, the filmmakers selected the versatile Sam Rockwell, who worked with Favreau in his directorial debut, “Made.”
“I thought `Iron Man' was really something special,” says Rockwell. “I had worked with Jon before, so I knew he and Robert were very similar to me in that they like to improvise a lot, which made me feel very comfortable with coming on board. I also really liked the character of Justin Hammer as an arms dealer who is trying to get in good with the American government and be their new Tony Stark. Justin's a bit of a used-car salesman in that sense, a real wheeler dealer who is kind of like the Jeremy Piven character in `Entourage' mixed with George C. Scott in `The Hustler.'”
“Sam is a fabulous actor, which is stating the obvious, but he's also very playful and willing to explore a scene,” observes Theroux. “He understands that acting is fun, and it should be enjoyed. He's got a great sense of humor and really knows how to toss the ball around in a scene. Lesser skilled actors will take the ball, run with it, and dump it off as soon as they're done, but Sam is like the Harlem Globetrotters in that he dips around the court, up, down, between the legs, around the back and out. He really knows how to play with story and character and squeeze the most out of it. Even through he is ostensibly a villain, he is also enormous fun to watch.”
Returning to “Iron Man 2” after his cameo appearance in the first film is Samuel L. Jackson in the role of Nick Fury, leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization who is keeping a close watch on Tony as he navigates the new challenges that have surfaced.
“We wanted Nick Fury's energy to be that of a grizzled AA sponsor who has been where Tony is now at,” explains Favreau. “He returns when Tony is perhaps at his lowest point and is there to confront him on a loving but unflinching level with the truth about his father.”
The director continues: “Sam Jackson has tremendous screen presence. The idea that we stuck him in the first film was a bit of a lark and now some of the decisions that Tony made flippantly end up determining our whole story path in this film.”
“Nick Fury comes in and actually gives Tony information about his father, Howard Stark, and what Tony's position in the Marvel universe should be,” notes Feige. “Tony learns what his dad's position was and where he was going with the Stark Expo.”
Taking on the role of Howard Stark is veteran actor John Slattery. Howard Stark is a very important character in the Marvel Universe, explains co-producer Latcham. “In the beginning of the first film, you learn about who Howard Stark is and see some pictures of him on magazine covers. After Tony escapes captivity, one of the first things he says is `I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions I would have asked him.' Clearly this relationship is something that Tony still struggles with even though his father has been dead for 20 years.”
Latcham continues: “So much of Tony's inner conflict goes back to the myth of his father and the things he believes, rightly or wrongly, about him. There are revelations in `Iron Man 2' during which Tony discovers who his father really was and that opens a big door. So we needed a great actor like John Slattery because he is going to tie the whole Marvel universe together with his character.”
Working on both sides of the camera in “Iron Man 2,” director Jon Favreau returns in an expanded role as Tony's trusty driver and bodyguard Happy Hogan.
“Jon is a very smart director because in the very first story development meeting he said, `I've got an idea. Happy Hogan needs to have a bigger part,'” laughs producer Feige. “I said, `You're right, the audience is demanding more Happy Hogan and they're going to get it this time.'”
The producer continues: “In all seriousness, Happy Hogan is a classic character who is in almost the full run of the Iron Man comics as a friend, chauffeur and boxing partner, and audiences will get to see a lot more of that in this film. The character really brings out a side of Tony's personality that is really fun and the truth is, once the world knows that Tony is Iron Man, the people who are in his inner circle get a lot more mixed up in the action.”
“Last time Happy was basically an extra,” jokes Favreau. “I was told the character was kind of distracting because he didn't have anything to do; so this time I actually have more scenes. But when I got into the editing room I had some bad news for Jon Favreau the actor because he lost some lines. What do fans want to see, Black Widow in her suit or me dressed as a limo driver? I don't think I have to answer that question.”
Rounding out the talented cast of “Iron Man 2” is Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart, Paul Bettany as Jarvis, Garry Shandling as Senator Stern and cameos by, among others, Larry Ellison and Stan Lee. Feige reflects upon adding new characters to the story and the team of actors assembled for “Iron Man 2.” “There have been good sequels and some not-so-good sequels, and what we've learned is you can't just cave into the pressure of adding a bunch of new characters simply to up the ante. If you do, the story will collapse very quickly under the weight of all your characters, plotlines and everything you're trying to service. What we did here is to only introduce new characters who have a direct and substantial impact on the main characters. This makes it more interesting to watch Tony, Pepper and Rhodey deal with the new curve-balls being thrown at them by the new characters: Natalie, played by Scarlett Johansson, Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke and Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell. These three characters add to the conflict and dilemma with which our lead actors must contend. When you look at the cast of this film, it's an embarrassment of riches in terms of the caliber of actors we have been able to assemble.
Setting The Tone: From Day One
Production on “Iron Man 2” began in Pasadena, California with Tony Stark testifying at a congressional Senate hearing. The filmmakers were thrilled to see Robert Downey Jr. return with his character's trademark swagger and biting wit.
“Robert always elevates the scene that is written on the page and makes it his own, but at the same time he keeps it tonally on point,” says D'Esposito. “He also has a magnetic set presence and gave a rousing introduction for his cast mates and director to kick off the production. It really put everyone at ease and set the tone for the collaborative, energized atmosphere that we love to have on set. On our first two days of production we shot the Senate hearing scene, which kicked things off in a big way with almost the entire cast working and Tony going up against a panel of Senators who are not pleased with his reluctance to cooperate with the government.”
“One of the main conflicts for Tony is not only with the United States government but with all of the militarized nations around the world,” says Feige. “They all want his technology and he doesn't want to give it to anybody and is very confident in the fact that he's the only one who can do it. As you would imagine, when someone has that kind of unwavering pride, it sometimes leads to a fall when they learn that they're not the only one out there who can pull it off.”
The Senate hearing was also energized by comedian Garry Shandling, whose cameo as Senator Stern included some hilarious back-and-forth banter with Downey. “For those of you who have never walked into a room and done an improv with Robert Downey Jr., let's just say - and I've never used this phrase before - he is vastly open,” laughs Shandling. “It was a blast to do. Both Robert and Jon have great energy and give you so much support, which only brings about better work.”
“I like to encourage a lot of improvisation on the set and Robert is very quick, unpredictable, and you have to put somebody in the cage with him who can really go toe to toe,” observes Favreau. “Garry is a personal friend and I knew he could hang in there with Robert and something explosive would happen if I put them in a scene together. A lot of what I enjoyed about the first film was the unpredictable quality some of the scenes had that in other movies of the same genre are a little bit more by the book. I knew they were going to cut loose and go a little crazy, but I also knew they would maintain the stakes and the reality at the same time.”
The director continues: “It was really fun and exciting for me to watch take after take and it was a great way to kick off the production. I was so relieved after seeing all the characters old and new working together. I felt like we immediately established the tone of the film.”
One dynamic that didn't need to be established on day one was the magnetic chemistry between Downey and Paltrow. “The secret weapon of the `Iron Man' franchise is the chemistry between Robert and Gwyneth,” says Feige. “When you give the script pages to them and they start rehearsing, you sort of tuck the pages away and just watch what they start doing. It's so honest and real. They stay on the page, they go off the page and then magic starts to happen, which is very emotional and very effective.”
The producer continues: “We put some wedges in between them to give them obstacles to overcome, the biggest one being the introduction of the Black Widow, who comes in under the guise of Natalie Rushman, Tony's new assistant. When that character is played by Scarlett Johansson, you know there's going to be a bit of a love triangle going on, but not the way you'd expect, and Pepper Potts doesn't react to it the way you'd anticipate, which makes it all the more interesting.”
For “Iron Man 2,” one of the only practical locations the production revisited from the first film was Edwards Air Force Base in Rosamond, California. For more than 50 years, Edwards Air Force Base (home of the Air Force Flight Test Center) has been the home of more major milestones in flying history than any other place on earth. Covering nearly 301,000 acres, Edwards is located in the Mojave Desert, adjacent to the largest dry lakebed in North America, Rogers Dry Lakebed. Edwards' focus today, and in the future, is summed up in the Air Force Flight Test Center's motto: “Ad Inexplorata” - Toward the Unexplored.
With the military having a strong presence in the script of “Iron Man 2,” the filmmakers once again obtained Department of Defense approval. Producer Feige explains the process: “When you get DOD approval on a film, you get access to lots of cool planes and vehicles and other military assets. We had the benefit of a great working relationship on the first film, but we still had to submit the script to the government so they could read it and give us notes. Their main goal was to ensure that the characters associated with the Armed Forces, and the movie in general, personified the military in a somewhat favorable light.”
“Working with the Department of Defense is a really rewarding experience and it really gives the scenes an authentic feel having all their amazing assets in the film,” says co-producer Latcham. “They have B-2 bombers, C17s, F22s, F35s and Edwards Air Force Base has so many great places to shoot. Other than Rhodey and a few others, all the personnel we used in the film were active military personnel. That's the big difference, because you could shoot in Los Angeles in a hanger with a bunch of extras, but they don't know how to march, salute or the accurate protocols of the military. With DOD approval, you get real airmen with real guns and they are super-excited to be in the film.”
As part of obtaining DOD approval, the production was assigned Air Force Captain Brian McGarry, who served as the department's officer on the film. “In my position at the Air Force Entertainment office we work very closely with the industry to discern what we can do to make the creative idea a little more credible, a little more plausible and obviously it works out great for us,” says McGarry. “Here at Edwards Air Force Base, these guys live and breathe air power and getting these birds up in the air, so it's great production value for the film and great for us to showcase the things that we do on the operational side, as well as giving our folks an opportunity to see how Hollywood works.”
With the character of Rhodey continuing to be an active Air Force Lt. Colonel in “Iron Man 2,” one of McGarry's most important tasks was giving Don Cheadle all the information he needed to play a ranking officer in the United States Air Force. “Marvel Studios and Jon Favreau really wanted us to provide assistance and guidance for the character of Rhodey,” explains McGarry. “They wanted to make sure the dialogue was correct and he looked and acted the part, and it was a great opportunity for us to have a frontline view in portraying what the Air Force core values are about.”
“Having military advisors on set was very helpful in trying to find the bridge between what is absolutely concrete and true and what is the mythology of who Rhodey is,” notes Cheadle. “You have to find a place to marry those two concepts, and make sure that what is happening would happen on a militaristic level. The people at Edwards were always close by when we needed to ask them anything and they were a pleasure to work with every step of the way.”
One of the many memorable scenes - and a personal favorite of director Favreau - shot at Edwards Air Force Base - was one in which Rhodey pays a visit to arms dealer Justin Hammer searching for some heavy-duty firepower.
“The scene was a late-breaking one, and it never really got a lot of attention in preproduction,” says Favreau. “You have to shoot really fast at Edwards because you just don't have a lot of time being on an active base. We quickly carted out all of the weapons Justin described with such great superlatives. The scene includes some of my favorite writing of Justin's and one in which he really got to be poetic in a way that showed him at his very best.”
The director continues: “On that particular day, I changed the order of all of the weapons at the last minute, which was tough for Sam Rockwell because it was two pages of straight dialogue. But what I cared about most was the way he presented the character. It took a while, because there was so much technical information and we used real guns, so you had to get it right because you don't want to make him seem like an idiot. Sam killed the scene, had a great time and really made a meal of it.”
“It wasn't easy, but we really cooked up a pretty fun scene,” laughs Rockwell. “It was definitely a three-headed monster. The scene evolved with each take as Justin was able to come up with new lines on the fly. Then I would riff on that, and then on the next take Jon Favreau would say, `Well let's do it like this' and he'd throw in some ad-libs, so we'd all be mixing it up together. God bless Don Cheadle for staying in the scene and putting up with that.”
“It was a great scene to shoot because basically Rhodey buys the entire store - everything that is shown to him. He says, `I'll take it in pink, purple, green and give me four of them,'” says Cheadle. “It's also a fun way to set up what the War Machine suit is going to be - an awesome, firepower monster.”
For Cheadle, the shooting days at Edwards Air Force Base also included his first time wearing the Mark II armor. “The practical suit really lets you feel a bit more connected to the dynamic of being inside something like that,” he explains. “It was really cool to get to wear the armor as it is such a big part of the Iron Man legacy and it is so much different than being in a Lycra suit with visual effect balls taped around your arms. It's great to put on the suit and to know that eventually you will get to take it off because it does get hot and heavy.”
“It was amazing, when we showed up at Edwards Air Force Base for the scene of Rhodey arriving in the Mark II armor, because the amount of gear that the DOD had put on that flight line was mind boggling,” says co-producer Latcham. “If you tally it all up, it would probably come out to over a billion dollars in assets right there on the flight line alone. The people at Edwards were great partners and they provided everything we asked for and let us put up on the screen what their world really looks like, which is really cool, cutting-edge stuff.”
One of the great traditions at Edwards Air Force Base is the carrying of squadron and battalion challenge coins. On the first film, cast and filmmakers received coins from the various squadrons as a sign of appreciation for bringing the film to the base. For the production's return to the base, Favreau was ready and had a great surprise for the military personnel.
“On the first film, all the battalions and squadrons kept giving Jon these challenge coins, which are a military tradition and everyone on the cast and crew really got into collecting them,” recalls Latcham. “Jon felt bad, though, because when they would give them to him, he didn't have anything to give in return; so before this film he went out and had these great `Iron Man' challenge coins made up. The whole time we were at Edwards, he was handing them to the military guys who were doing such a good job. They were so popular with the military guys that at one point people were literally showing up to give Jon a coin because they wanted one of his coins. It was such a great outpouring of goodwill and they really appreciated that he understood and respected their culture and traditions.”
 Production notes provided by Paramount Pictures. |
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Iron Man 2
