Every Iron Man Movie Ranked

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, regardless of its latest inventive and industrial fumbles, stays one of many largest cinematic franchises ever — one which got here to dominate Hollywood and popular culture in a surprising period of time. To suppose it began with one man, a single character, and a movie that changed Hollywood forever: “Iron Man.”

The summer time of 2008 actually was the season of Robert Downey Jr., no less than on the massive display. On high of his stellar, one way or the other Oscar-nominated flip in “Tropic Thunder,” there was additionally the monumental success of “Iron Man,” a movie that received the world to fall in love with the womanizing arms seller with a coronary heart of gold, Tony Stark. It got here as a shock to the superhero system; right here was a man who had zero regard for his secret id, relished in his powers and ego, and did not should cope with a lot by way of private sacrifice (his transient hostage stint apart, that’s), not like Peter Parker. Tony was enjoyable to observe, charismatic, sensible, smug, and a complete star.

Downey Jr. would go on to reprise his “Iron Man” position in a number of motion pictures throughout the following 11 years, serving as both the lead, a supporting participant, or just a minor member of the ensemble. So, forward of Downey Jr.’s return to the franchise as Doctor Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday,” let’s rank each MCU film Iron Man is in.

“Iron Man 2” was the MCU’s first actual misfire. It isn’t a catastrophe by any means, however it’s a particularly middle-of-the-road, “fantastic” film that does little or no to construct on the momentum of the primary “Iron Man” and even “The Unimaginable Hulk” earlier than it. The movie introduced in Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell to play its villains, but it did not give them a lot to do and the characters have been little greater than one-dimensional cartoon villains (much to Rourke’s annoyance). And but, the film just isn’t with out its redeeming qualities. There are some nice motion set items, with the third act even boasting some sequences storyboarded by the animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky.

Nonetheless, it is the murky politics of “Iron Man 2,” mixed with the boring journey down reminiscence lane into the Stark household’s historical past, that make this movie a chore to get via. This was additionally the film that made it clear Marvel Studios had (and nonetheless has) an advanced inventive relationship with the U.S. navy and that it will hardly ever ever provide significant political commentary (as evidenced 15 years later by 2025’s shockingly and disappointingly apolitical “Captain America: Courageous New World”).

“Avengers: Infinity Battle” was a monumental movie when it was first launched. An unprecedented crossover, the film introduced collectively a decade’s price of MCU movies and their characters with them. Sadly, it is not an excellent film. In reality, it is actually solely half a film — one with a darkish ending that is not all that efficient, provided that it was all the time apparent the movie’s eventual follow-up (extra on that later) would undo a lot of what occurs. (For that matter, “Thunderbolts*” did a much better job of using a similar concept.) And positive, Josh Brolin’s Thanos is a technical marvel, however his motivation is flimsy at greatest.

“Infinity Battle” can be removed from one of the best Tony Stark film; because of the large variety of characters within the movie, he finally ends up having very little to really do. As a substitute, his largest moments contain him bickering and preventing with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Physician Unusual (which simply serves to remind audiences that they’re just about the identical character from a sure perspective) and having an emotional interplay with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker on the finish of the film … one which, once more, merely does not have a lot of an influence as a result of we knew heading in the entire thing would in the end be undone.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” is a implausible film, but it surely barely options Tony Stark, so it does not actually really feel like an Iron Man movie in any respect. Nonetheless, in terms of Tony, it does characteristic him in a brand new and fascinating position as a mentor to Peter Parker. “Homecoming” additionally marked the beginning of a theme the MCU has since begun to discover in higher depth, specifically the thought of legacy within the superhero style and the passing of the torch. Seeing how Tony understands the errors Peter makes and trusts him as a hero whereas additionally doubting him is compelling, and it reveals how a lot Tony has gone via for the reason that first “Iron Man” film.

On high of that, in fact, “Homecoming” is solely an unimaginable Spider-Man film. It not solely efficiently integrates Peter Parker into the MCU, but it surely additionally provides us a brand new interpretation of Peter that is nearer to the comics. Holland is phenomenal because the titular web-slinger, whereas Michael Keaton’s tackle the Vulture is likely one of the greatest villains within the MCU at massive.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” was, in many ways, a sign of things to come for Marvel. It marked the MCU’s “too huge to fail” second, whereby even a Frankenstein’s Monster of a movie managed to make a crap ton of cash on the field workplace. Certain, the film is a multitude — to not point out, the primary indication that the MCU’s “It is All Linked” strategy could make it really feel like you need to do homework to grasp and luxuriate in every new chapter. And but, as an Iron Man movie, there’s lots to love right here. 

A direct continuation of the themes and occasions of “Iron Man 3,” the crux of the plot in “Age of Ultron” considerations Tony’s lingering PTSD from the climactic battle in “The Avengers.” There are some fascinating moments right here relating to Tony turning into obsessed along with his traumatic experiences in previous MCU motion pictures and wanting to forestall the following huge assault on Earth earlier than it occurs. It is this obsession that drives him and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to turn out to be an Oppenheimer (or, in case you want, Dr. Frankenstein) duo and unleash an AI extinction-level monstrosity on the planet. Once more the result’s removed from probably the most coherent or well-constructed MCU movie … actually, it is one of many worst. And but, as an Iron Man film, there’s lots to admire and like.

Iron Man is ,in some ways, the principle character within the MCU. On the very least, this was true till “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” at which level Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) turned the soul of the franchise. That is what made “Captain America: Civil Battle” so efficient; it pits Steve’s coronary heart towards Tony’s pragmatism. “Civil War” is the payoff to every personal and political thematic throughline within the MCU as much as the time of its launch. Greater than that, it capabilities as each an “Avengers” movie and a private story for Tony as he (kind of) passes the torch to Steve as the brand new lead within the MCU.

Certainly, taking a look at “Civil Battle” because the climax of Iron Man’s arc, his try at redemption following his position in creating Ultron and, in the end, his turning into an enemy to his personal mates is each emotional and satisfying. The ultimate battle between Cap and Iron Man is likely one of the greatest in your complete MCU, an intimate, grounded, emotionally uncooked brawl that encapsulates the story of each characters. That is when Tony Stark kind of steps down and turns into extra of a mentor than a frontrunner (no less than till the Infinity Saga wraps up), making it a pivotal chapter within the build-up to the epic conclusion of his story.

“The Avengers” stays a monumental achievement in blockbuster cinema; it was, in any case, the primary actual proof that Marvel’s huge experiment with the franchise may work. From its humor and motion to its big beam within the sky and its banter, it stays a vastly entertaining movie. It is also an enormous film for Iron Man himself, because the MCU’s self-proclaimed first public superhero (so far as the general public is aware of when the movie takes place) is pressured to play with others for the primary time and shortly realizes even all his expertise is not sufficient when there are different superheroes — together with complete alien armies — on the market.

That is additionally the beginning of Tony’s arc, whereby he tries to elevate the burden of getting to guard your complete world off his shoulders (which continues with “Age of Ultron” during to the conclusion of the Infinity Saga). For that purpose, he’s very a lot the protagonist of “The Avengers” and continues to function the group’s chief throughout their subsequent couple of appearances … till all of it falls aside.

“Iron Man” stays among the best Marvel motion pictures ever made. With out a number of heroes, world-ending threats, quite a few cameos and references, or the fixed must deflect pressure with banter and quips, the primary “Iron Man” is an anomaly and a throwback to a time when Marvel motion pictures have been all about experimenting. That is Marvel by the use of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, stripping the titular hero all the way down to fundamentals and grounding him in actuality. The Iron Man go well with is plausible (even when it is nonetheless fantasy), whereas Tony’s background as an arms seller additionally provides the movie a sociopolitical message that roots it in our world (again earlier than the franchise turned completely faraway from any recognizable actuality). Certainly, it feels odd to observe this film and understand it takes place in the identical universe that may at some point be inhabited by Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac) and Shang-Chi (Simu Liu).

The entire thing works as a result of Robert Downey Jr. is simply so ridiculously likable as Tony, even when he is human trash for a lot of the primary act. What he delivered to the character was not solely sufficient to maintain this film however to additionally lay the muse for a franchise that has solely grown by leaps and bounds since then.

“Iron Man 3” is the uncommon occasion of an auteur being allowed to really deliver their very own distinctive imaginative and prescient and persona to the MCU. Shane Black not solely gave us the primary Marvel Christmas film, however he additionally delivered a nuanced exploration of PTSD in a superhero film that is humorous as hell, all whereas offering Tony with a buddy for many of the movie. What’s extra, the film’s portrayal of tension is shockingly nice, and the movie itself makes for a vital constructing block in terms of Tony’s evolution as a personality. Certainly, “Iron Man 3” in the end paves the best way for each Ultron and the whole lot Tony does thereafter.

Although it has some points, principally referring to Man Pearce’s Aldrich Killian, “Iron Man 3” also features one of the best action scenes in the entire MCU within the type of the mid-air rescue sequence. Black and Downey had already made the outstanding “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (which made nice use of Downey’s comedic and dramatic chops alike), and their second team-up stays an underrated gem.

“Avengers: Endgame” is the true end result of Tony’s arc. Not solely is that this the only greatest “Avengers” film that fulfills the promise of “Infinity Battle” and delivers an incredible second half to that story, but it surely’s additionally a film that really works effectively by itself. From the time-travel storyline that takes viewers down reminiscence lane to among the greatest one-liners within the MCU and, in fact, the epic third-act battle (which provides sufficient fan service moments to gasoline an influence station with the vitality generated by folks cheering as they watch), “Endgame” stays a monumental blockbuster.

“Endgame” can be one of the best Iron Man film as well. It totally pays off Tony’s higher character journey, promoting his transformation from a billionaire jerk to a person who would sacrifice his life to avoid wasting the universe. Downey does unimaginable work right here, delivering an emotional efficiency that reveals how a lot Tony has gone via throughout his tenure as a hero, how a lot he desperately desires to go away it behind, and in the end how a lot of a real hero he was when it mattered.