Perhaps the least surprising announcement coming out of CinemaCon was the revelation that Kevin Feige and others have gathered at a retreat to plan out the next 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Under Feige’s direction, the MCU has developed a reputation for order that mirrors its comic book predecessor. Characters and plot points introduced in one film do not reach their end their conclusion until several movies later.
But that wasn’t always the case. Back in the late 2000s, the fledging Marvel Studios was still scrambling to establish itself. No movie better encapsulates that scramble than 2010’s Iron Man 2. Although financially successful, the movie disappointed fans with its slapdash script and lack of focus. According to an insider speaking with Vulture, the messy movie fans saw on screen reflected the frantic process of making Iron Man 2.
Greenlit just days after Iron Man opened to raves from critics and moviegoers, Iron Man 2 initially planned to continue the adventures of Tony Stark by adopting the “Demon in a Bottle” storyline from 1979’s Invincible Iron Man # 120-129. But screenwriter Justin Theroux, star of films such as Mulholland Drive and writer of the comedy Tropic Thunder, quickly did away with that plot for something that better suited the upbeat tone of the first movie. The result is a movie that repeats the Tony Stark hubris of Iron Man, but grounds it in the less compelling problem of blood poisoning from the arc reactor in his chest.
According to Vulture, the biggest problem with Iron Man 2’s production comes down to the “triangle of power” that made the first movie such a hit. Today, we think of Feige as the undisputed boss of the MCU. But during the making of the first movie, “[director Jon] Favreau, Feige, and Downey … were equal partners.”
Source: Den of Geek
