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 Since
1998, Marvel films have easily grossed over $4.9 billion worldwide
at the box office, firmly establishing itself as one of the top
entertainment brands in Hollywood. David Maisel, CEO of Marvel Studios,
explains why Marvel has been so successful in adapting its comic book
characters to the silver screen. “Our films are as much about the man as
the superhero. We cast great actors who will appeal to both kids and
adults. We set our films up to appeal to everyone. Over the past seven
or eight years we have had great luck in combining unique and original
talent with our spectacular world-renowned characters. We've been very
fortunate that with the Marvel brand, we have been able to attract
talented filmmakers as well as the best technicians, visual effect
supervisors, cinematographers and visual effects companies in the world,
which has resulted, we believe, in the best kind of genre mega-event
summer pictures out there.”
 "Howard
Hughes was probably one of the most colorful men of our time,” says
executive producer Stan Lee. “He was an inventor, a true adventurer, a
billionaire, a ladies' man and, then finally, a nutcase." Lee continues,
“What triggered me to create a character like Iron Man was that I wanted
to do something different than the usual super hero. In 1963, Iron Man
was all the things that young readers in those days didn't really care
for: he was an industrialist and created war machines. I thought to
myself, I'm going to make these kids like him by making Tony Stark a
rich, glamorous, handsome, interesting guy. I also gave him a weak heart
so that he would have one thing about him that made him
less-than-perfect and would also give the readers something to worry
about. The response to the character was amazing and, of all the Marvel
characters, Iron Man received more fan mail from female readers than any
other property. People of all ages connected to the human side of the
character.” A unique and vastly popular character in the Marvel
universe, Iron Man is the only self-made superhero whose superhuman
strength and abilities come from the powered suits of armor created from
the genius mind of Tony Stark.
For Director Jon Favreau, the chance
to create a new superhero for the screen was one that he couldn't pass
up. “I grew up reading Marvel Comics,” he says. “It's an exciting
challenge to direct `Iron Man' because he's the biggest character in the
original pantheon of the Marvel universe who has never had a movie made
about him. I come from the independent film world, and what I like to
think I bring to the table is the ability to tell a story in a simple,
relatable way that brings out the humor in situations, as well as the
humanity of the characters. One of the great assets of Marvel Comics is
that the heroes are very human and flawed. Marvel began when the
iconography of the superhero was larger-than-life. They were usually
flawless paradigms of integrity. But Marvel changed the landscape by
creating superheroes with their own shortcomings and a recognizable
humanity that is enjoyable and interesting to explore.”
 In
casting the rather pivotal role of Tony Stark, the filmmakers went
completely against the grain in casting Academy Award-nominated actor
Robert Downey Jr. “Robert Downey Jr. wanted to play Tony Stark as much
as I wanted him to play the character,” recalls Jon Favreau. “He wasn't
the most obvious choice from a studio's point-of-view, but Marvel gave
me the freedom to cast the best person for the role. In many Marvel
movies, the superhero image is the big star and they've had a lot of
success in the past when they've hired people who were strong,
interesting actors, and relied on the name of the brand itself to be the
rallying cry from a commercial standpoint. This allows you to attempt to
make the best movie possible, and when Robert Downey Jr. came on board
he became a true partner creatively.” For Downey, the chance to play
Tony Stark and slip into the red and gold armor was a childhood dream
come true. “I'm an American. I love Marvel Comics and grew up reading
Iron Man and Spider-Man,” affirms Downey. “I have always been drawn to
Iron Man because he had amazing ingenuity and intelligence. Superheroes
are great, but superheroes who manufacture weapons and then build a suit
of armor that they wear and can fly around in makes for the ultimate 'nerdgasm,'”
he laughs. On a more serious note, Downey continues: “He's someone who's
conflicted for the right reasons, and who doesn't recognize his
potential until he starts to live in accordance with a moral code; it's
a great time-honored theme.”
For Downey Jr., who was actively involved in the creative
development of the film and script, the days of preproduction also
included an intense regimen of weight training and martial arts in order
to prepare him for the physical demands of playing the character. “About
a year ago I decided that I really want to put on some size, which isn't
easy when you're approaching 40,” observes Downey. “I felt that if I was
ever going to do a movie like `Iron Man,' I had to do it quickly before
it became embarrassing being the guy in tights with the flabby body. The
first thing I did was tons of strength training, because I'm not a kid
anymore and you must first get your tendons, bones, and subcutaneous
muscles strong enough to deal with the weight you're going to be
lifting. It was really about survival for me, and all of the hard work
in preproduction wound up giving me the strength to do the movie.”
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