Action, Science fiction
Synopsis
A wealthy industrialist (Robert Downey) builds an armored suit and uses it to defeat criminals and terrorists.
Cast: Robert Downey, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir, Leslie Bibb, Sayed Badreya, Clark Gregg, Bill Smitrovich, Jon Favreau
Producer(s): Paramount, Marvel Enterprises
Crew: Director - Jon Favreau, Screenwriter - Mark Fergus, Screenwriter - Hawk Ostby, Screenwriter - Art Marcum, Screenwriter - Matt Holloway, Producer - Avi Arad, Producer - Kevin Feige, Executive Producer - Louis D'Esposito, Executive Producer - Peter Billingsley, Executive Producer - Jon Favreau, Executive Producer - Stan Lee, Executive Producer - David Maisel, Executive Producer - Avi Arad, Cinematographer - Matthew Libatique, Film Editor - Dan Lebental, Production Design - J. Riva, Original Music - Ramin Djawadi
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: 05/02/2008
Running Time: 126 minutes
OFFICIAL SITE
| PG-13 | Parents Strongly Cautioned |
Production Notes:
- Notes provided by Paramount Pictures. -
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment Present Marvel Studios' soaring action-adventure "Iron Man," the story of billionaire industrialist and genius inventor Tony Stark (ROBERT DOWNEY JR.). As CEO of Stark Industries, the U.S. Government's top weapons contractor, Tony has achieved celebrity status by protecting American interests around the globe for decades.
Tony's carefree lifestyle is forever changed when his convoy is attacked following a weapons test he oversees and he is held hostage by a group of insurgents. Injured by life-threatening shrapnel embedded near his already weakened heart, Tony is ordered to build a devastating weapon for Raza (FARAN TAHIR), the mysterious leader of the insurgents. Ignoring his captors' requests, Tony uses his intellect and ingenuity to build a suit of armor that keeps him alive and enables him to escape captivity.
Upon his return to America, Tony must come to terms with his past and vows to take Stark Industries in a new direction. Despite the resistance from Obadiah Stane (JEFF BRIDGES), his right-hand man and top executive, who has taken over the reigns of the company in his absence, Tony spends his days and nights in his workshop developing and refining an advanced suit of armor that gives him superhuman strength and physical protection.
With the help of his longtime assistant Pepper Potts (GWYNETH PALTROW) and his trusted military liaison Rhodey (TERRENCE HOWARD), Tony uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications. Donning his powerful new red and gold armor, Tony vows to protect the world and right its injustices as his new alter-ego, Iron Man.
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment Present A Marvel Studios Production in Association with Fairview Entertainment A Jon Favreau Film "Iron Man" starring Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub and Gwyneth Paltrow. "Iron Man" is directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway. The film is produced by Avi Arad and Kevin Feige. The executive producers are Louis D'Esposito, Peter Billingsley, Jon Favreau, Ari Arad, Stan Lee and David Maisel. The director of photography is Matthew Libatique, ASC. The production is designed by J. Michael Riva. The film is edited by Dan Lebental, A.C.E. The visual effects supervisor is John Nelson. The visual effects and animation are by Industrial Light & Magic. The music is by Ramin Djawadi. The music supervisor is Dave Jordan. This film is not yet rated.
THAT'S (MARVEL) ENTERTAINMENT
With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused on utilizing its character franchises in licensing, entertainment, publishing and toys. Marvel Entertainment's areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home video, consumer products, video games, action figures and role-playing toys, television and promotions. Rooted in the creative success of over sixty years of comic book publishing, Marvel has successfully transformed its cornerstone comic book characters into blockbuster film franchises.
Marvel Studios' Hollywood renaissance has been nothing short of spectacular, with record-breaking franchises such as "Spider-Man," "X-Men" and "The Fantastic Four," resulting in a string of eight consecutive #1 box office openings. Since 1998, Marvel films have grossed over $4.9 billion worldwide at the box office, firmly establishing itself as one of the top entertainment brands in Hollywood.
David Maisel, Chairman 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," adds "Iron Man" producer and Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige. "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."
In 2007, Maisel spearheaded Marvel's announcement to self-finance a slate of ten films which would begin with the 2008 releases of "Iron Man" and "The Hulk," as well as the development of such titles as "Captain America," "Thor" and "Ant Man."
One of the original Marvel Comics, Iron Man has enjoyed a long and prosperous run dating back to the characters' first appearance in the Marvel comic Tales of Suspense in April 1963. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby, Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark was inspired partly by the personality of the late American icon Howard Hughes.
"Howard Hughes was one of the most colorful men of our time," says executive producer Stan Lee. "He was an inventor, an adventurer, a multimillionaire, a ladies' man and, 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.
"In the comic book world, Iron Man stands proudly alongside Spider-Man, The X-Men and The Fantastic Four," says producer Kevin Feige. "It's been that way for decades and Iron Man really connected to readers because he's not a mutant, he wasn't transformed at a biological level and wasn't bitten by any sort of genetic insect. He simply is a man who has used his genius to build an armored suit, which is essentially the greatest piece of human ingenuity ever invented."
It was the superhero's decidedly flawed character and flashy playboy lifestyle that made the Iron Man comic ripe to be the next Marvel franchise and first film under the company's new Marvel Studios banner.
"Iron Man is an interesting character for us," adds producer Avi Arad. "We've done superpowers very well with 'Spider-Man' and the 'X-Men,' but what makes the property so adaptable for a movie franchise is that it's a story that deals with social issues and the world we live in today. It's about redemption and a man who has a hero in him, but it takes a set of dire circumstances to bring that out."
"Marvel has a terrific history of successfully bringing comic book characters to life, and Iron Man is the next logical step," injects executive producer Peter Billingsley. "It's Marvel's first venture into fully financing a film and they have invested a lot of time and care developing this potential franchise. The title has been around for a long time. It has a rich history with 40 years worth of story lines to explore."
FAVREAU AT THE HELM
Marvel was faced with the challenge of finding a director who could not only handle the technical aspects of executing a large-scale action film, but more importantly could infuse the story with the human element that so dominated the comic book characters. For the creative team at Marvel, the potential list of directors began and ended with Jon Favreau, who had previously directed the films "Made," the blockbuster comedy "Elf" and the critically acclaimed sci-fi adventure "Zathura."
"We got to know Jon when he played Foggy in 'Daredevil,'" recalls Avi Arad. "I liked all the movies he directed, but I was most impressed with 'Zathura.' So many of my friend's kids saw that film five or six times and I kept hearing how much they loved it. Jon is a great storyteller and smart filmmaker with a deep love and appreciation for the Marvel brand and Iron Man character.
"Also," Arad continues, "to pull this film off we really needed a director who was tuned in to what was going on in the world today, both politically and socially. Jon possessed all of these characteristics."
For producer Kevin Feige, Favreau fit perfectly into the stable of great storytellers who made the leap to action blockbusters courtesy of Marvel Films. "Jon fits the mold exactly of the kind of director we like to hire for our films. He's done great movies in the past, but this one has the biggest canvas by far. When you have a filmmaker who has the vision and the passion like Jon does, and can bring his unique sense of character to this grand spectacle, you know you'll end up with a Marvel movie that is a cut above the rest."
For 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."
For executive producer Billingsley, a longtime friend and colleague of Favreau's who has served as a co-producer on "Made" and "Zathura," adapting "Iron Man" played into all the director's filmmaking strengths. "Jon came aboard on 'Iron Man' while the script was being developed. Since the Iron Man comic books offer such a vast amount of plots and storylines, it's easy to get lost among the myriad of options available," observes Billingsley. "But in all the previous films Jon has written and directed there is one common denominator -- strong, compelling storytelling."
With Favreau signed onto the project a year before principal photography was to begin, the director began the long and arduous task of guiding the development of a screenplay based on a Marvel character who had been in existence for over 40 years, with a wealth of available stories from the more than 600 issues published over the years.
"What separates 'Iron Man' from a lot of the other superhero films is that there is just as much emphasis on story as there is on action," notes Billingsley. "Jon was given the responsibility of coming up with the best notion of what the story would entail and he really carried the burden of birthing this comic book franchise into a film franchise."
Screenwriters Art Marcum & Matt Holloway worked with Favreau in hammering out the first few drafts of the script, with Academy Award®nominated screenwriters Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby brought on later for subsequent drafts. From the start, the filmmakers agreed that the film would concentrate on the origin of Iron Man.
"The birth of a hero is something that is highly enjoyable for audiences to watch," says producer Feige. "You don't want to delay that too long into the story. The development of a superhero has provided some of the most memorable moments in any of our previous films. 'Iron Man' is no exception."
"When you're creating the origin story of a superhero, you have certain critical responsibilities, one of which is showing how the hero came to be," adds director Favreau. "This can be a burden, but it also gives a filmmaker the opportunity to allow the audience to become the hero alongside the main character. I personally have the most fun as a viewer when I witness the learning curve of the superhero."
Favreau continues: "When we were developing the script and coming up with ideas for the structure of the story, there was a natural tendency to want to get the character right into action with the suit and to fight but, for me, the more engaged you are in the story, the more interested you will eventually be in those set pieces and the more gratifying those sequences will be to the audience. In writing the script, we made sure to spend time with the character as he is discovering the technology, refining the suit and learning how to use it."
Another task for the filmmakers was updating the origin story to the present day. In the origin story of the Marvel comic, Tony Stark was an anticommunist hero who was shot down and captured while visiting Vietnam to observe his new mini-transistors that were being used to assist the U.S. war effort.
"The origin story had to be redeveloped to reflect new technology and the changes in the political, social and economic landscapes in the world today," says Favreau. "What Stan Lee wrote as science-fiction back in the 1960s is currently modern science. We have become so advanced in our technology that things you can buy in a drugstore now would have been the subject matter for a sci-fi film back in the days when Iron Man first entered the Marvel universe. The character of Tony Stark was a larger-than-life character with a conflicted nature who finds his true purpose when he becomes Iron Man. We wanted to keep the basic origin story structure, but tweak it so that it reflected the present day."
For the writing team of Fergus & Ostby -- Academy Award® nominees for best adapted screenplay for "Children of Men" -- one of the challenges in developing the screenplay was that, although the character of Iron Man had legions of fans in the comic book world, the property had not crossed over into mainstream pop culture, and required a story that would satisfy hardcore genre fans as well as audiences who had never been exposed to the character.
Fergus found his moment of clarity in the writing process courtesy of Favreau and Billingsley. "Early on in one of the writing meetings with Jon and Peter, we sat down and just asked, 'If we had to boil this movie down to one sentence what would that be?'" recalls Fergus. "After a few deliberations we came up with 'Iron Man' is a story about a man who finds his heart.' The idea behind a movie should always be something you can really boil down to a singular theme that is easy to understand. When you break down the character of Tony Stark, he really is a man who learns to feel and connect and to accept responsibility for his role in the world."
"Tony Stark is a good-looking, charming guy who enjoys fast cars, big parties and beautiful women," says producer Arad. "He is also an extremely brilliant scientist, inventor and weapons manufacturer. He is having way too much fun living his James Bond-like lifestyle to consider that what he does actually has profound global implications."
THE CASTING PROCESS
With screenwriters Fergus & Ostby continuing to refine the screenplay under Favreau's supervision, the filmmakers began the search for an actor who could capture the essence of the larger-than-life leading character, billionaire industrialist and consummate playboy Tony Stark.
"Tony Stark is a figure that is famous and has a lot of notoriety both positive and negative," explains Favreau. "His face has been bannered in newspaper headlines many times before he ever becomes Iron Man. He's been involved with weapons manufacturing for years but suddenly realizes the ramifications of what he does for a living. It's like waking up one day and realizing you're a bad guy when you always thought you were one of the good guys. On the surface he seems to have it all, but Tony Stark is a very complex character who goes through an internal crisis in the film."
In casting the role of Tony Stark, the filmmakers went 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 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 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 producer Kevin Feige, Downey fit into Marvel Studios' formula of casting talented actors who truly embody the characters they play. "Tony Stark is a unique comic book character with several different layers," explains Feige. "He is flawed, but also brilliant, funny, extremely talented and likable. When you talk about talented actors in Hollywood, you inevitably wind up talking about Robert Downey Jr., one of the best actors of his generation. I couldn't be more excited to have him in this film. When you combine Robert's acting ability with the adventure and spectacle of the comic book genre, you end up with something that is bigger than the sum of its parts."
"Casting Robert just felt perfect," adds screenwriter Fergus. "It's a slightly off-beat choice, but Marvel has a cool and visionary way of casting its films. When the casting is announced, people usually react with, 'oh that's interesting,' and then it turns out to be more than interesting. It turns out to be perfect and people can't imagine anybody else in the role. Marvel's really adventurous like that and I think that audiences really appreciate it."
For Downey, 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 the hard work in preproduction wound up giving me the strength to do the movie."
Favreau was impressed with his lead actor's hard work in the weight room. "Robert really went the extra mile and trained heavily to make his body look the way it should to play a superhero," says Favreau. "He took the role very seriously, not just in the physical sense, but also in his understanding of what made the character tick. He found a lot of his own life experience in this character and he had a firm understanding of the role and the film before we started shooting."
With Downey busy preparing for his starring turn in the film, the filmmakers focused their attention on casting the film's other central roles.
In the film, as the leading manufacturer of weapons, Stark Industries has enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with the United States Government and the Air Force's leading military advisor, Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Following a successful military weapons demonstration in the Middle East, Rhodey and Tony Stark's convoy is attacked by a group of insurgents. During the intense battle, Tony is wounded by shrapnel and captured. Although the Department of Defense gives up its effort to find him after a few months, Rhodey refuses to stop searching for his lifelong friend and confidant. In "Iron Man," Rhodey is played by Terrence Howard. An Academy Award® nominee for his role in "Hustle and Flow," Howard jumped at the opportunity to perform opposite Downey. "Getting the chance to work with Robert Downey Jr. attracted me to the role more than anything else," reveals Howard. "I first saw him in 'Weird Science' and thought he was hilarious, and then when he did 'Chaplin' I realized he was a genius."
For Downey, the feeling was entirely mutual. "First of all, Terrence Howard looks great in an Air Force uniform," laughs Downey. "Terrence is a top-drawer actor and it's no mistake that he has become such a sensation over the last few years. One of the definitions of a genius is someone with a lot of character and we really needed a strong spirit to play Rhodey. Tony Stark is such a dynamic character that if Rhodey was merely his sidekick it wouldn't work. Rhodey had to be his equal."
As Howard sees his character, "Rhodey is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force who acts as a liaison between the acquisitions department and Stark Industries. He gets a lot of grief for not going into the private sector, but Rhodey is the one guy who is always there to protect Tony's interests, often times against his own better judgment."
Tony's other trusted ally is his crafty executive assistant Virginia "Pepper" Potts, an indispensable part of the eccentric Stark's life. Never one to shy away from an argument, Pepper is always there to put out the fires that Tony often leaves burning in his wake. The filmmakers knew they'd scored a major coup when Academy Award® winner Gwyneth Paltrow decided to take on the role.
"Casting Gwyneth as Pepper Potts was really an inspired choice and we all felt extremely blessed that she accepted the part," says executive producer Louis D'Esposito. "She is such a fantastic actress and from the first time we watched her in the room with Robert, it was electric."
For Paltrow, the decision to join the cast of "Iron Man" was an easy one. "I grew up with Marvel comics around the house because my brother loved Spider-Man from a very young age, but I had never been in a film of this size or scope. When I heard Robert Downey Jr. was playing Iron Man and that Terrence Howard was also in it and Jon Favreau was directing, I said 'I'm in.'"
"In the comic, Pepper Potts is Tony's secretary who fawns over him a bit," explains Favreau. "We wanted to update the role based on Gwyneth, who is sharp, poised, and classy. Pepper Potts keeps Tony in line and on track, and organizes his life. There is a yin and yang between them that culminates in a bit of a romantic tension. We wanted to explore that dynamic a bit, because it really wasn't necessarily fully defined in the original comic."
"There definitely is an underlying sexual chemistry between Tony and Pepper, but it's more about what they don't say than what they don't do with each other," observes Paltrow. "Pepper is the closest person in Tony's life and is really his lighting rod. She protects him, takes the hit for him when he screws up and keeps him on time and as responsible as she can. Tony is a genius and is able to create all these amazing things, but, like many artists, he's not very good with the pragmatic side of his life, and that's where Pepper steps in and whips him into shape."
When Tony Stark is captured and held prisoner by an unknown enemy, the reins of Stark Industries are turned over to his top executive and right-hand man, Obadiah Stane. A confidant and advisor to Tony's father Howard Stark, Stane is a shrewd and calculating businessman who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
To play Obadiah, the filmmakers cast one of Hollywood's most successful and distinguished actors, four-time Academy Award® nominee Jeff Bridges.
"As a child I was a big fan of comic books and one of the things that really made me interested in doing 'Iron Man' was Jon Favreau's desire to make a film that was really grounded in reality," asserts Bridges. "He wanted people to be able to watch the film and believe it would be possible for him to build a suit and maybe that could really happen."
The actor continues: "Obadiah is an interesting name, so I Googled it and discovered that it is the shortest book in the Bible. It's only a couple of pages, so I read it and it's all about retribution, of which there is a great deal in this story. I wonder if Stan Lee knew that or if it was just a total coincidence."
"Jeff Bridges was truly the first and only choice to play the part of Obadiah Stane," says Billingsley. "He is such a tremendous actor, a chameleon in all the roles he has played over the years. He has an amazing body of work and we knew he would bring an intensity and realism to the role of Obadiah Stane."
Billingsley's words rang true when Bridges expressed his willingness to shave his traditional thick head of hair in order to look more like the comic book character. "I've never shaved my head before, but I have always wanted to," reveals Bridges. "I always thought that someday a part would come along and I'd have to do it. When I saw the comic book character, I said 'oh well, here is my chance to finally do it.' I spoke to Jon about it and he said 'we feel like you don't have to shave your head.' I really wanted him to say, 'Oh yeah, you have to shave your head.' I had really long hair prior to this film so we kind of chipped away at it, took it down a few steps at a time until, finally, we took the plunge and shaved it all off, which instantly transformed me in an Obadiah-like way."
"When Jeff Bridges walked into my office after shaving his head and growing a beard, it was as if Obadiah Stane had walked out of the pages of the Iron Man comic and was standing before me," says producer Feige. "The resemblance was uncanny. He could have pulled off the role with a different look, but the fact that he was willing to do whatever it took to become this character really spoke volumes about the kind of actor Jeff is and why you want to have him in your film."
When Tony is captured and held captive in a dark and cavernous cave in the mountains, he encounters another prisoner of war named Yinsen, played by the versatile Shaun Toub. A medical doctor, Yinsen, keeps Tony alive long enough for him to build an RT device that prevents the shrapnel from piercing his heart.
"Yinsen is a worldly man who speaks many different languages," says Toub. "Although he originally comes from a very small town, he has traveled the world. When Tony Stark is brought into the cave, Yinsen operates on Tony and removes as much of the shrapnel as possible. The irony is that the shrapnel that remains in his chest is from a bomb that Stark Industries built."
While Tony is secretly building a suit of armor in the cave, Yinsen must defuse the increasingly hostile Raza, the ruthless leader of the insurgents. Played by Faran Tahir, Raza has captured Tony and is forcing him to build a Jericho missile, Stark Industries' newest and most powerful weapon.
Tahir, an avid Iron Man comic reader, explains his character's motives for capturing a high value target like Tony Stark. "Raza is part of a secret alliance and is given the assignment to abduct and kill Tony Stark," he says. "Tony's almost dead after the attack, but Raza makes a deliberate choice to have him revived because he is a valuable asset and he wants to get an incredible weapon out of him. If Raza can possess this weapon, his caché goes up so much that he can rule the entire region."
Playing the role of Christine Everhart, a beautiful young investigative reporter, is Leslie Bibb. "Tony Stark is interviewed by a lot of people, but there's something about Christine that strikes a nerve in him," says Bibb. "In the script, she becomes his moral conscience and lets him know 'This is what you're doing and these are the results of what your company produces.' In her mind she sees Tony as a war profiteer, but at the same time she is completely smitten by his charm and charisma and can't resist spending the night with him at his ocean-side mansion."
Rounding out the talented cast of "Iron Man" is Sayed Badreya as Raza's lead henchman Abu Bakar, Clark Gregg as government agent Coulson, Bill Smitrovich as Air Force General Gabriel and Jon Favreau as Tony Stark's chauffeur Happy Hogan.
With casting completed, the filmmakers reflected upon the extremely talented cast they had assembled for "Iron Man."
"I think this is the best cast that we have ever assembled for a Marvel film," claims producer Feige. "Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges are all Academy Award® nominees or winners. This is an ensemble that you only dream about, but we were able to land all four of these extremely talented actors, which is really something special and Marvel couldn'
