Iron Man Launched the MCU 15 Years Ago Today
When was released in American theaters on May 2, 2008, few people could have expected it would lead to movies that feature characters like Rocket Raccoon, Kang the Conqueror, and Namor, the Sub-Mariner. But now that theMarvel Cinematic Universe has been thriving for a decade and a half, it’s worth looking back at what made all these massive movies, Disney+ shows, and cinema debates possible.
After years of scattered superhero movies that ranged from masterpieces (Spider-Man 2) to duds (Daredevil), Iron Man — and technically The Incredible Hulk the next month — was released with the intent of jumpstarting a cinematic universe. That goal would obviously be realized on a massive scale, but a big part of why that’s the case comes down to one simple thing — Iron Man is a legitimately great film.
Within the first five minutes, Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark has already been thrust into his character-defining journey. We receive some flashbacks right after, but Iron Man has a fantastic start that gets you immediately interested. The flashbacks are essentially supplementary background story, as the snarky but charming character of Tony Stark and his reputation as an arrogant weapons manufacturer is established quickly and effectively. Just as the flashbacks make you wonder whether you should be rooting for Tony, we’re warped back to the present, where he’s a hostage to the Ten Rings with a low-budget surgical job keeping him alive.
We hang out with the present Tony and his savior/fellow hostage Yinsen as they build a missile for the Ten Rings, and we begin to see the human side of Stark. This is where he starts to become the flawed but admirable hero that fans followed for over a decade, as he and Yinsen speak with each other
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