Marvel Studios celebrated the 10th anniversary of the release of the Iron Man with a pair of behind-the-scenes photos from the film. May 2, 2008, marked a momentous occasion in the history of the studio when Robert Downey Jr. suited up to play Tony Stark/Iron Man, which was at the time one of the lesser-known characters to the general public that was created by Marvel Comics iconic editor and writer Stan Lee, developed by writer Larry Lieber, and designed by legendary artist Jack Kirby and Don Heck. The character original made his debut in the panes of Marvel's Tales of Suspense #39 from 1963 but did not realize his cinematic dreams until 45 years later.

Written and directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man, while made under the auspices of Marvel Studios, was distributed by Paramount Pictures in a deal that pre-dated Marvel Entertainment's acquisition by Disney in 2009. Iron Man's success on the big screen no doubt factored into the decision to pull the trigger on the $4 billion deal (which included the rights to about 5,000 of the comic book company's characters), since it pulled in a blockbuster $318.4 million in its domestic run, plus another $266.7 million overseas for a global cume of $585.1 million.

Now, 10 years to the day of Iron Man's release in theaters, the studio that brought the character to life is commemorating the landmark film by looking back at some of the key characters behind the scenes of the production. In a tweet sent out by Marvel Studios on Wednesday, Downey Jr. is pictured in his Mark 1 Iron Man suit behind a clap board in one photo, while Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is pictured on-set with Favreau and Pepper Potts actress Gwyneth Paltrow in another. See the tweet below.

10 years ago, today...The Marvel Cinematic Universe began. #IronMan pic.twitter.com/z27f74fGVN— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) May 2, 2018

While the reveals of behind-the-scenes photos are generally nothing new or special to any Marvel Studios film, let alone any film in general, there's a special kind of poignancy attached to the ones Marvel released on Wednesday. It's enough to make the passage of time seem so fleeting, and it's a reminder just how far and how fast the studio has risen to the top of the cinematic world in the past decade, especially given how Avengers: Infinity War electrified audiences over the weekend on its way to snatching the record from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to score the biggest U.S. opening weekend of all time.

With any luck, Marvel Studios will continue to celebrate the anniversaries of its now 19 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially since so many of them are worth celebrating. No anniversary may be as sweet as Iron Man hitting its first major mark, however; a mark that will only be outdone when the film reaches year 20 and 25, etc. on the calendar. For today, though, fans should celebrate Marvel and its decision to start out with a character who is just as strong in 2018 as he was in his debut in 2008.

More: 10 Years Later: Most Important Moment Wasn't Meeting Nick Fury

Source: Marvel Studios

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