[mcu] Soliciting thoughts about Iron Man as a franchise. I'm on a podcast next week discussing the merits of it as a franchise and the value of the sequels.
I like the end credit scenes. it's a little teaser for another movie and if you miss it, it's OK you'll see it eventually but it's fun. and I know it was made to drum up hype but it's still fun
i really still do not like 2 because i feel it took the character in a different direction from the first and that set the tone for his arc and really the rest of the mcu as fast-talking comedy/action. the genre aspect is fine but
it wouldn't have made me so mad for so long if it didn't dictate how his character developed and was handled for the rest. they steered him back on track for the most part, but the mark is still there.
3 was a lot of fun and i like it as a cap on his trilogy. i also looove the trope of tony dealing with a kid (it's a thing and it's great) and it was also exciting for me to see actual anxiety/trauma in a big budget action movie
i read that shane black originally wanted maya as the real villain and i was like neat! but the leadership at the time (not feige) thought a female villain wouldn't be appealing/sell well
re: the sequel value? you can skip im2 and still get the jist. 3 is important because it sets his motivation of "be home with/for pepper" for a lot of the rest of his stuff.
my fav scene in the trilogy is after the charity party, where tony finds out from christine/stane that his weapons are being sold by his company under the table, and he's sitting in his shop with the news on
and it's gorgeous. you can see/feel the anger, then the repulsor where he realizes he can use the "flight stabilizers" as a weapons, and that he can Do Something about this. that's the moment he goes from "building this thing i got the idea for and trying to find my way" to "i know my way"
YES the room to breathe. ;-; it's so important. do you want to know? i can say what's in them! also like this might not be what you want about re: merits as a franchise but you're much better at that larger aspect than i am. i just like story and character.
what happens is that he's drunk at the party, and then a call for help comes in that a missile is being aimed/heading somewhere and iron man is needed to fly in
and THAT"S why rhodey suits up back to stop him. it's not "you've been an asshole and i'm taking your suit from you" it's actual like. friend concern but also being duty bound and this is a last resort.
i feel like im2 suffered from "high on their own success" and also "shit we gotta set up for future things and we gotta do it now!" excitement and too little time to be made
and I know it was made to drum up hype but it's still fun
But you're right. and that's a good way to put it
And taking his suit away