Iron Man Director Hints at Mandarin for Sequel

[Logan Westbrook]

Iron Man Director Hints at Mandarin for Sequel

Director John Favreau says that he wants to see Iron Man's arch enemy the Mandarin in Iron Man 3.

For nearly as long as there's been an Iron Man, there's been a Mandarin fighting against him, but so far, the movies had steered clear of the character, in favor of Iron Monger and Whiplash. But if director John Favreau has his way, that will change with Iron Man 3.

"You have to do The Mandarin... The problem with The Mandarin is, the way it's depicted in the comic books, you don't want to see that," he said. "He also has ten magical rings, and it just doesn't feel right for our thing, so it's either tech-based or the rings are not really rings... But maybe with Thor and all those others you'll introduce magic to that world and it won't seem so out of place."

I'm hoping that the movie will retcon [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroactive_continuity] the Mandarin a little and make his rings technological. Even with Thor on the way, adding magic into a franchise that had been all technology tends to be an awkward fit.

Source: Film Junk [http://www.filmjunk.com/2010/05/10/jon-favreau-promises-the-mandarin-for-iron-man-3/]


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[knhirt]

Marvel is all about awkward fits.

I'm looking forward to this. It had to be coming, especially after the little hint in the first movie.

 

[Deofuta]

Honestly I would like the film to stay as close to the source material as possible. If it's magic in the comics, it should be magic in the movies.

Plus, isnt there some sort of technology vs. fantasy sort of theme going on in there? Seems like something that could have undertones.

Also, what little hint are you referring to?

 

[Cherry Cola]

Finally

Don't forget to include "Demon in the bottle" so I can get the sequel I actually want.

Now we're talking!

 

[Crimson_Dragoon]

There was a story with him a couple years ago in the comics that actually made him into a pretty good villain. Admittedly, this meant changing his look and personality, but it worked.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

I hope if there is an Iron Man 3 that they make the story better than it was in Iron Man 2. I feel like my intelligence was insulted by that movie. Also I hope that in the Avengers movie, considering S.H.I.E.L.D is involved (why is that anyway?), we get to see the Helicarrier. I was disappointed when it wasn't in Iron Man 2.

 

[UltimatheChosen]

He was sort of mentioned in the first movie (the name of the terrorist organization was "The Ten Rings" or something like that).

Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't show up in the second.

There was a story with him a couple years ago in the comics that actually made him into a pretty good villain. Admittedly, this meant changing his look and personality, but it worked.

Yeah, I was very impressed by that story, too.

 

[Roganzar]

Finally

Don't forget to include "Demon in the bottle" so I can get the sequel I actually want.

Now we're talking!

Well we got a little of "Demon in the bottle" with Iron Man 2, just a little.

The reason they need to do the Mandarin as the ancient Chinese Sorcerer is so you get that great dicotomy of magic vs technology, new world devices vs. old world superstition. It has some great storytelling implications and great action.
Besides, I want to see Iron Man battling Marvel Comics' great dragon of alliteration, Fin Fang Foom. "He whose arms crush mountains and his back scrapes the sun."

 

[new_age_reject]

Yeah magic wouldn't fit greatly in the film franchise so far but I really hate it when the uber fuck with the comics.
Kick Ass for example, the comic is one of the greatest... the film is a massive pile of steaming shit. They should have called it Cop Out.
So as long as they don't mess too badly it should be a good addition to an already stellar series.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Finally

Don't forget to include "Demon in the bottle" so I can get the sequel I actually want.

Now we're talking!

Well we got a little of "Demon in the bottle" with Iron Man 2, just a little.

The reason they need to do the Mandarin as the ancient Chinese Sorcerer is so you get that great dicotomy of magic vs technology, new world devices vs. old world superstition. It has some great storytelling implications and great action.
Besides, I want to see Iron Man battling Marvel Comics' great dragon of alliteration, Fin Fang Foom. "He whose arms crush mountains and his back scrapes the sun."

Not really, he wasn't an alcoholic. He was just being self-destructive due to thinking he was dying. And even then it was more awkward than dramatic.

 

[Sonicron]

I think the reason the Mandarin is difficult to implement nowadays is that he was always portrayed (in part) as an ethnic stereotype... it's just as awkward as re-introducing a character like Dr. Fu Man Chu into the world of modern media and political correctness. :\

 

[Darkstar370]

No more magic. I liked how the Iron man series has so far been pretty believable. I've enjoyed it.

How is building a suit of armor in a cave, with a box of scraps, believable?

Don't go ruining it.

ZOMG RUINED FOREVER!!11!
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuinedFOREVER

 

[Baron Khaine]

No more magic. I liked how the Iron man series has so far been pretty believable. I've enjoyed it. Don't go ruining it.

I take it you haven't seen the end of Iron Man 2 yet?

I'll also point you to MovieBob's last article where he pretty much covered all of this and how that one last scene in Iron Man 2 would change how the entire Iron Man movie series would be percieved.

 

[Raesvelg]

Except for the fact that the Mandarin doesn't actually use magic...

He finds the rings in the ruins of a crashed spacecraft, where they served as part of its propulsion system. He masters the alien technology, and uses that as the basis of his various campaigns of terror/world domination.

Though arguably it fits the definition of "magic" under the auspices of Clarke's Third Law.

 

[Pirce]

The rings aren't magic they are an ancient and advanced technology. The Mandarin found them in an ancient alien craft. The rings were used as a near unlimited power source for the warp drive of the starship.

*Edit*
Not to say that The Mandarin didn't use magic, well maybe he's been retconned a lot and I don't quite follow him that much. I do know that he is an expert in both earth and Makluuan science so it wouldn't be all that hard to make him fit in with the movies.

 

[Ultra_Caboose]

Except for the fact that the Mandarin doesn't actually use magic...

He finds the rings in the ruins of a crashed spacecraft, where they served as part of its propulsion system. He masters the alien technology, and uses that as the basis of his various campaigns of terror/world domination.

Though arguably it fits the definition of "magic" under the auspices of Clarke's Third Law.

Beat me to it.

The rings are technology to begin with, so I don't see what all the fuss is about. You could try to change their purpose of something like that, but I really can't imagine the Mandarin without them.
A part of me wants the movie to feature his original costume, just so I could get a really good and awkward laugh out of the sterotypical asian villain.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

No cop-outs please it has destroyed every comic film that has tried to subvert the fantasy(or high level sci fi ala FF2:ROTSS,it sucked......badly....at least DOOM was correct....) element in it.

The Mandarin uses "powers" and thus is magic since it can not be explained by "abilities" or conventional technology.


Now you can spin him in 2 directions the traditional alien tech user with a mystic motif or go with a strictly mystic motif.


edit

Just had a thought how about a Asian businessman(w/wo mob connections) who heavily studies Chinese mysticism secretly, finds the ruins and the rings. The rings alter physics a bit each differently, like Starts power source only they do not require a suit.

 

[Jared]

It wouldnt mind this actually...would remind me of the good ol' days with Ironman!