Iron Man 3 has been one of Marvel Studios’ most divisive movies since it was released, and it continues to be a topic of discussion among fans – but Tony Stark’s third solo adventure has its strengths. The Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008 with Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau and introducing Robert Downey Jr as the title character. The movie was a critical and financial success, and made way for other heroes and their solo adventures, eventually introducing teams like the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy and bringing them all together in Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
The MCU’s first three phases, collectively known as the Infinity Saga, have come to an end with Spider-Man: Far From Home, and with many of the upcoming movies now on hold indefinitely, it’s a good moment to look back at the stories that have shaped the MCU and made it what it is now. While there are movies that have been praised by fans and critics, such as Captain America: the Winter Soldier and Black Panther, others have received mixed reactions, most notably Iron Man 3.
Directed by Shane Black, Tony Stark’s third solo movie took place after the events of The Avengers, following Iron Man as he encountered a new villain known as the Mandarin while he also dealt with the emotional and psychological consequences of the Battle of New York. Iron Man 3 was mostly criticized for its villain twist and is regarded by many Marvel fans as the worst movie in the MCU – but there’s much more to it than bad criticism.
Iron Man 3 Is Crucial To Tony Stark’s Character Arc
Tony Stark was introduced as a selfish, genius billionaire who didn’t care what his company did as long as it made money. His biggest battle was against his ego, and it wasn’t until The Avengers that he proved to himself that he had what it took to be a real hero by literally saving Manhattan from total destruction – all it took was intercepting a missile and taking it through a wormhole toward the Chitauri fleet. By the time Iron Man 3 began, Tony Stark was dealing with the fact that he lived in a world where Gods, aliens, assassins, and more co-exist and fight each other, and it’s not one where he could continue working by himself.
Iron Man 3 saw Tony building different suits that would protect him and allow him to fight all those menaces he knew were out there, but all this obsessive work was rooted in PTSD. Tony’s main concern was that an attack like the one from the Battle of New York or a much bigger one could happen, and by the end of the movie, he finally understood that all that weight didn’t have to be exclusively on his shoulders, and that it was going to take more than one person to protect the world. All this preparation, both in terms of suits and psychologically, is what had him ready (as ready as one could be in that situation, of course) when Thanos and his army arrived in Avengers: Infinity War, and by then he was already aware that in order to defeat them, he had to work with the rest. Though the writers of Avengers: Age of Ultron took many steps back with Tony’s arc, everything he went through in Iron Man 3 eventually paid off in future movies, especially Infinity War and Endgame.
Iron Man 3 Has A Perfect Blend Of Action & Comedy
It couldn’t be an Iron Man movie without humor, as that’s a big part of Tony Stark’s character, and Iron Man 3 stands out for that, and it’s all thanks to the story being told by Tony himself, as seen in the post-credits scene. Shane Black not only directed the movie but also wrote the script, which is why it's full of dark comedy, subversion, and elements from Black’s narrative style, most notably two characters becoming friends and exchanging witty dialogue (as seen with Tony and his new friend and apprentice, Harley). Iron Man 3 proved that Marvel movies can be funny, dark, and still have a big dose of action; among the elements that have been praised by critics and viewers are the movie’s action sequences, more so because they had Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) joining the fight, and the movie has been labelled by some critics as the studio’s first true action-comedy. In a way, it can be said that Iron Man 3 prepared the ground for movies like Ant-Man and Thor: Ragnarok.
Iron Man 3’s Mandarin Switch Is One Of The MCU’s Best Twists
Iron Man 3’s most criticized moment is also one of the MCU’s best twists to date. The movie introduced The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a dangerous terrorist and leader of the Ten Rings – an organization that was already introduced in Iron Man. For the most part of the story, the Mandarin was the villain to beat... until he wasn’t. Iron Man 3 has a villain twist with the revelation of the Mandarin actually being an actor named Trevor Slattery who was hired by Adrian Killian (Guy Pearce), who later claimed to be the “real Mandarin”. This was heavily criticized for changing the Mandarin’s origins and overall character by turning him into a joke, but it was later revealed that the actual Mandarin (for real this time) does exist in the MCU, and wasn’t happy with what Killian and Slattery did to his name and image. The Mandarin is set to make his official debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
While it’s understandable why the Mandarin twist was so criticized and one of the main reasons Iron Man 3 is so divisive, it’s still one of the best twists in the MCU. While Killian wasn’t one to trust from the very beginning, the revelation of the Mandarin not being the real one was definitely one that viewers didn’t see coming. In addition to that, Ben Kingsley’s performance is one of the highlights of the movie, as he successfully managed to fool the audience into thinking he was playing one of the most dangerous men in the MCU, when he was just a drunk English actor who had no idea he was being used as cover by an actual criminal.
Iron Man 3 Brilliantly Deals With Some Of The MCU’s Most Mature Themes
Perhaps one of the most underrated and often forgotten aspects of Iron Man 3 is how it addresses topics like anxiety and PTSD. The movie saw Tony coming face to face with his own vulnerability, in levels he hadn’t explored before – this wasn’t something physical that could heal with a couple of stitches, or a suit malfunction, but something deeper that required a different type of help. This not only reminded the audience that Tony, even with all the money and high-tech suits, was a human, but also showed a side of him viewers could (finally) relate to.
Iron Man 3 explored the aftermath of the Battle of New York under a different light through Tony’s anxiety, nightmares, and panic attacks, showing that superheroes are also affected by the wars they fight, even if most movies decide to ignore that. These topics were handled with care and respect, with specialized media like Psychology Today praising the movie’s accurate portrayal of Tony’s PTSD symptoms, and truly added to Tony’s character, even if subsequent movies (especially Age of Ultron) completely ignored all these new steps in Tony’s development.
Iron Man 3 did things differently very early on in the MCU with its blend of comedy, action, and more mature topics, and most viewers weren’t ready for such changes. Ultimately, Iron Man 3 was an important chapter in Tony Stark’s arc and a good continuation of his story following The Avengers, contrary to other solo movies that came after it that feel completely disconnected, and its often criticized villain twist made way for the proper introduction of one of Marvel’s most memorable bad guys in a movie that is much more fitting to the character.
