Upcoming Iron Man Movie

On May 2, the next Marvel Comics movie will hit the big screen with a potential for drawing in one of the biggest superhero crowds since the Spiderman trilogy. Although he is slightly less well-known than Spidey, the X-Men and the Hulk among non comic-savvy fans, Iron Man is nonetheless one of the biggest names in the Marvel franchise.

The movie will star seasoned actor Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire weapons maker and consumer Tony Stark, a.k.a. the "Invincible Iron Man", as he known in the comic books. It will also feature Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes, . It will be directed by actor/director/producer Jon Favreau, who was ironically an actor in Marvel's 2003 embarrassment, also known as "Daredevil," in which he starred as lawyer "Foggy" Nelson, alongside Ben Affleck. Favreau directed the 2003 Christmas hit "Elf", starring Will Ferrell, which drew in over $173 million at the box office, as well as "Zathura" (2005), which drew in a mere $28 million. Therein lies the debate. Should Marvel have allowed an individual with such limited directing experience to take the reins of their next big action film? Not to mention the only experience Favreau has had with Marvel was "Daredevil", and not the best attempt Marvel has ever made at a movie. Oh wait, he did co-star alongside Famke Janssen (Jean Grey in Marvel's hit "X-Men" trilogy) in "Love & Sex" (2005). I suppose that qualifies him. [Insert sarcastic snicker here.]

Despite Favreau's questionable impact upon the film, one thing is certain: fans are sure to turn out in record numbers to discover the outcome of Marvel's next, big movie. And as always, a fair percentile of those fans will be the die-hard comic book followers, eager to scrutinize the movie from beginning to end. Will Favreau stay true to the original origins of Tony Stark and his alter ego of Iron Man? Or will Marvel make another colossal, "Hulk-sized" screw-up? Only time will tell.

In order for the movie to align with its comic book origins, the script will have to portray Stark as a charismatic, charming, "spend money on anything" billionaire playboy type. In a sense, he is very much the Marvel Comics version of Bruce Wayne. Ironically, "Iron Man" will hit the theatres close to the release of D.C. Comic's "The Dark Knight", the long awaited sequel to "Batman Begins", starring Christian Bale as Batman and the late Heath Ledger as the sinister and villainous Joker. Marvel has had a tendency in the past to veer slightly from comic origins to elevate Hollywood entertainment ideals, as evidenced by the "Fantastic Four" films and "Ghost Rider." Loyal fans can only hope this does not occur with "Iron Man."