Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki

Should LEGO Marvel's Avengers and browser games be covered on the wiki? Share your thoughts!

READ MORE

Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
Advertisement
Register
Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
⠀
39,256
pages
in: Iron Man (film), Released Movies, The Infinity Saga Movies, Phase One Movies

Iron Man

Sign in to edit
For other uses, see Iron Man (disambiguation)

"I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."
"Just stick to the cards, man."
"Yeah, okay. Yeah. The truth is... I am Iron Man."
―Tony Stark and James Rhodes

Iron Man is a 2008 superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. It is the first film and installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first film of Phase One and The Infinity Saga. The film was released on April 30, 2008 internationally and on May 2, 2008 in the United States.

The film is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Terrence Howard as James Rhodes, Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, Shaun Toub as Ho Yinsen, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.

In 2022, Iron Man became the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to be inducted into the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".[3]

The film spawned two sequels: Iron Man 2 in 2010 and Iron Man 3 in 2013.

Synopsis[]

2008's Iron Man tells the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.[4]

Plot[]

Terrence-Howard RDJ Iron-Man-1-

Tony Stark blows off his award

Playboy and visionary industrial genius Tony Stark, CEO of leading military defense contractor, Stark Industries, is at a casino, blowing off an award ahead of a big day in war-torn Kunar, Afghanistan, to demonstrate his company's new Jericho missile. With him is his friend and military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, a member of the United States Air Force, they arrive.

Tony Stark (2008)

Tony Stark presenting the new Jericho missile

While riding in a transport convoy, Stark is critically wounded in an ambush and held captive in a cave by the Ten Rings. An electromagnet built by fellow captive Ho Yinsen keeps the shrapnel that wounded Stark from reaching his heart and killing him. The Ten Rings leader, Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, offers Stark freedom; in exchange, Stark must build a Jericho missile for the terrorists. Stark and Yinsen agree that al-Wazar will not keep his word of letting Stark live.

Stark and Yinsen

Tony Stark is fitted with the Mark I

While pretending to work on the missile, Stark and Yinsen secretly build a powerful electric generator called an Arc Reactor to power Stark's electromagnet. They then begin to build a powered suit of armor, designed by Stark, to help them escape. The Ten Rings ambush the workshop when they discover Stark's plan, but Yinsen sacrifices himself to distract them while Stark's suit powers up. Using the armored suit, Stark fights his way out of the cave to find a mortally wounded Yinsen, who reassures Stark and urges him to continue his escape and not waste his life. An enraged Stark leaves the cave, burns the terrorist's stockpile of Stark Industries-produced weapons, and flies away. Having escaped, Stark crashes in the desert, which destroys the suit.

Obadiah-Stane-Happy-Speech

Obadiah Stane panics to fix Tony Stark's announcement

Having been rescued by a search party, including Rhodes, Stark returns home. He calls a press conference to announce that his company will no longer manufacture weapons, having seen first-hand the strife that they cause in the wrong hands. Obadiah Stane, his father's old partner and the company's manager, informs Stark that this may ruin Stark Industries and his father's legacy.

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

Tony Stark dances with Pepper Potts

In his home workshop, Stark spends the following weeks building an improved version of his suit, as well as a more powerful arc reactor for his chest. At Stark's first public appearance after his return, Christine Everhart informs him that Stark Industries weapons, including the Jericho missile, were recently delivered to the Ten Rings and are being used to attack Gulmira, Yinsen's home village. Stark confronts Stane about the supplied weapons and learns that Stane is trying to replace him as head of the company.

Iron Man Mark III in Flight

Iron Man flies in the Iron Man Armor: Mark III

Enraged, Stark dons his new armor and flies to Afghanistan, where he saves the citizens of Gulmira from the Ten Rings' wrath. While flying home, Stark is engaged by two F-22 Raptors on behalf of the U.S. Air Force. He phones Rhodes and reveals his identity in an attempt to call off the attack. Meanwhile, the Ten Rings gather the pieces of Stark's prototype suit. Al-Wazar meets with Stane and offers to exchange the suit with him. However, Stane has al-Wazar and his faction eliminated, taking the suit for himself. Returning to Stark Industries, Stane orders his scientists to have a new suit reverse-engineered from the wreckage.

Obadiah Stane & Pepper Potts

Pepper Potts speaks to Obadiah Stane

Seeking to find any other weapons delivered to the Ten Rings, Stark sends his trusted personal assistant, Pepper Potts, to hack into the company computer system from Stane's office. Potts finds evidence of Stane supplying weapons to the terrorists, but also discovers that Stane had initially hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark in Afghanistan. After an uncomfortable encounter with a suspicious Stane, Potts meets with Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division to inform him of Stane's activities.

Stane with Suit

Obadiah Stane finishes the armor

Stane's scientists reveal that they cannot finish his suit, as no one can manage to duplicate Stark's Arc Reactor. Stane ambushes Stark at his home, using a Sonic Taser to paralyze him and take his current Arc Reactor. Left to die, Stark manages to crawl to his lab and saves himself by re-using his original arc reactor. Potts and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attempt to arrest Stane, but he dons his suit and attacks them. Stark fights Stane, but is outmatched without his upgraded reactor to run his suit at full capacity.

Pepper & Tony

Tony Stark ahead of his press conference

Stark lures Stane atop the Stark Industries building and instructs Potts to overload the large Arc Reactor there. Doing so unleashes a massive electrical surge that knocks Stane unconscious, causing him and his armor to fall into the exploding reactor, killing him. The next day, the press has dubbed the armored hero "Iron Man". Agent Coulson gives Stark a cover story to explain the events of the night and Stane's death. At a press conference, Stark begins giving the cover story, but then instead announces that he is Iron Man, shocking the public as the crowd of interviewers suddenly begin roaring out questions, much to Rhodes' confusion.

Nick Fury (2008)

Nick Fury introduces himself to Tony Stark

Afterward, Nick Fury visits Stark at his home, stating that Iron Man is not "the only superhero in the world," and wants to discuss the Avengers Initiative.

Cast[]

Appearances[]

Locations[]

Events[]

Items[]

Vehicles[]

Creatures[]

Organizations[]

Mentioned[]

Videos[]

Trailer[]

Other[]

Music[]

Song title Artist Location(s)
Hell Above Water Curve
  • Official Trailers.
Hey Man, Nice Shot Filter
  • Official Trailer.
Cochise Audioslave
  • Official Trailer 2.
Back in Black AC/DC
  • Opening Scene.
Damn Kid DJ Boborobo
  • The retrospective on Tony Stark at the award ceremony.
Iron Man - Theme from the Animated Series
(Jack Urbont cover) 		John O'Brien and Rick Boston
Slept on Tony Ghostface Killah
Institutionalized Suicidal Tendencies
Groovetronic Terry Devine-King
  • Tony Stark sees news report about the Stark Benefit.
Kool Katz Chucho MerchĂĄn
Licorice Emanuel Kallins and Steve Skinner
Concerto in Do Maggiroe Per Pianoforte eo Orchestra: Larghetto Antonio Salieri
Iron Man Black Sabbath
  • End credits.
Iron Man - Theme from the Animated Series Jack Urbont

References[]

Transparent Endgame Logo
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Iron Man (film).
  1. ↑ Marvel Called J.J. Abrams For Help With First ‘Iron Man’ [UPDATE]
  2. ↑ Hans Zimmer composes additional tracks for Iron Man along with Ramin Djawadi
  3. ↑ ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Little Mermaid’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally’ Added to National Film Registry
  4. ↑ Iron Man - Marvel.com

External Links[]

Phase One Films Iron Man ‱ The Incredible Hulk ‱ Iron Man 2 ‱ Thor ‱ Captain America: The First Avenger ‱ The Avengers
Short Films The Consultant ‱ A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer ‱ Item 47
Phase Two Films Iron Man 3 ‱ Thor: The Dark World ‱ Captain America: The Winter Soldier ‱ Guardians of the Galaxy ‱ Avengers: Age of Ultron ‱ Ant-Man
Short Films Agent Carter ‱ All Hail the King
Phase Three Films Captain America: Civil War ‱ Doctor Strange ‱ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ‱ Spider-Man: Homecoming ‱ Thor: Ragnarok ‱ Black Panther ‱ Avengers: Infinity War ‱ Ant-Man and the Wasp ‱ Captain Marvel ‱ Avengers: Endgame ‱ Spider-Man: Far From Home
Short Films Team Thor: Part 1 ‱ Team Thor: Part 2 ‱ Team Darryl
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms
Advertisement