We’re going to see all sorts of people wearing Iron Man suits in the upcoming “Iron Man 3,” and we’ve already had a quick glimpse of Don Cheadle in the suit as Iron Patriot. Today, though, we’ve got a great new one-sheet that gives us an even better look at him in what may be the most outrageous costume in any of the Marvel Studios movies.
A few weeks back, I had an opportunity to see a chunk of the movie and talk to several of the key players in bringing this latest sequel to the screen. That full conversation is still embargoed, but I can tell you that unlike “Iron Man 2,” which sacrificed a fair amount of running time to helping lay groundwork towards “The Avengers,” this is a Tony Stark movie first and foremost. This allows the filmmakers to refocus on Tony and his great supporting cast of characters. Jon Favreau, for example, has perhaps his biggest and most significant turn yet as Happy Hogan, and Gwenyth Patrow is front and center again as Pepper Potts.
The key relationship that I’m curious to see play out, though, is the one between Tony and his old friend Rhodey, who basically hijacked an Iron Man suit. Sure, they teamed up again at the end of “Iron Man 2,” but there’s still a real tension between the two of them, and it helps illustrated the tension between Tony and the American military industrial complex, which seems frustrated by his refusal to share his toys. Seeing how they’ve repainted this suit, I have to back Tony’s decision completely. Good lord…
According to Kevin Feige, part of the design here is meant to be ridiculous, and that’s part of the film. It’s hard to walk that fine line, but I think everything I’ve seen so far promises a really strong and smart third chapter in Stark’s bigscreen adventures.
We’ll find out for sure when “Iron Man 3” opens May 3, 2013.