50 Fun Facts About Iron Man 3

Who directed Iron Man 3?

Robert Downey Jr. reached out to Black, who had directed him in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, to write and direct the film.

Who co-wrote the screenplay with the director?

Marvel had originally hired Pearce to write a Runaways script; Black was initially hesitant to work with him.

Which comic storyline primarily influenced the plot?

The 2005–2006 arc was written by Warren Ellis, whose name was borrowed for the film's president.

Who plays Aldrich Killian?

Pearce called his part "cameo stuff" and enjoyed working in concentrated spurts.

Who plays the Mandarin persona on screen?

Kingsley was filming Ender's Game when he was cast and wanted a voice like an earnest teacher or preacher.

Who is the Mandarin revealed to be?

Black pitched him as an overacting British stage performer kept in a drug-fuelled house arrest.

The film's U.S. President is named after which comics writer?

William Sadler plays President Matthew Ellis.

What is James Rhodes' armor rebranded as in the film?

In the comics the red, white and blue armor belonged to Norman Osborn.

J.A.R.V.I.S. flies Stark's damaged suit to which state?

The suit lacks the power to return to Malibu, leading the world to believe Stark died.

What is the name of the boy who helps Stark fix his suit?

Stark rewards him with a garage full of modern engineering tools.

Filming was based at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in which North Carolina city?

Michigan was also in contention but could not match North Carolina's tax incentives.

What working title was used during filming?

Cinematographer John Toll used digital cameras for the first time in his career on the shoot.

Where did the world premiere take place on April 14, 2013?

Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow attended; the U.S. premiere followed at the El Capitan on April 24.

Iron Man 3 was the first film of which MCU phase?

It was released in the United States on May 3, 2013, a year after The Avengers closed Phase One.

Roughly how much did Iron Man 3 gross worldwide?

It outgrossed both of its predecessors combined and was the second-highest-grossing film of 2013.

Which film's opening weekend was the only one bigger at the time?

Iron Man 3 opened to $174.1 million domestically.

Who composed the score?

Tyler cited John Williams' Raiders of the Lost Ark as an influence, especially for the Extremis motif.

The score was recorded at Abbey Road with which orchestra?

The Mandarin's theme borrowed religious music from many cultures, from Gothic chants to the Middle East.

Who cameos uncredited in the post-credits scene?

He reprises Bruce Banner from The Avengers, listening to Stark's story.

What role does Stan Lee cameo as?

Shaun Toub also returns briefly as Ho Yinsen from the first Iron Man.

Which future Wednesday star appears uncredited as the vice president's daughter?

Her lines were cut from the final film.

Which Chinese star turned down the role of Dr. Wu?

Wang Xueqi was cast instead; the character's name references a Steely Dan song.

Which actress appears as Dr. Wu's assistant only in the Chinese cut?

The Chinese version was four minutes longer and featured product placement for Chinese brands.

How much longer was the Chinese cut than the general release?

It showed a Zoomlion crane and Yili milk among the added product placements.

Around which holiday is the film set?

Black felt a shared holiday united the whole universe of characters, and saw Harley as Stark's Ghost of Christmas Past.

Which character led the villainous operation in the initial draft?

Black compared the planned reveal to Remington Steele, where the woman has been running the show all along.

Why was the lead villain switched from a woman to Killian?

Several other major female roles were also trimmed from earlier drafts.

Which actress replaced Jessica Chastain, who left over scheduling?

Hall later said the substantial role she signed on for was greatly reduced in the final film.

Which camera did cinematographer John Toll primarily shoot on?

It was the first time Toll had worked with digital cameras in his career.

Which skydiving team performed the Air Force One rescue falls?

The scene was originally planned for green screen, but second unit director Brian Smrz knew the team.

What did Downey suffer in August 2012 that halted production?

Black and Pearce used the break to make script revisions before shooting resumed by August 24.

How many studios worked on the film's visual effects?

They included Weta Digital, Digital Domain, Scanline VFX, Trixter and Framestore.

Roughly how many visual effects shots did the film feature?

VFX supervisor Chris Townsend said the crew had one day off from January through April 2013.

What is Iron Man's height according to the VFX supervisor?

Downey wore lifts or stood on a box so he would be the correct height on set.

What natural reference did artists study for the glowing enhanced soldiers?

Time-lapse photography of rotting produce helped shape the look.

The helmet's heads-up display was inspired by which brain-mapping graphic?

It is a circular graph that maps the white-matter connections of the human brain.

What was the film's final running time, making it the longest solo Iron Man film?

Three hours and 15 minutes of footage were shot before editing.

What was the title of the concept album released alongside the score?

Only one of its twelve rock songs, Awolnation's "Some Kind of Joke", appears in the film.

How much did Disney spend marketing the film worldwide?

Tie-ins included Lego sets, Hasbro figures, a Gameloft mobile game and deals with Subway.

Which Walt Disney World monorail was painted in an Iron Man scheme?

Disneyland's Innoventions got a Stark Industries exhibit with a "Become Iron Man" simulator.

Which One-Shot later revealed that the real Mandarin exists in the MCU?

Released in February 2014 on Thor: The Dark World's home media, it continues Trevor's story.

Which state lost the production to North Carolina over tax incentives?

Marvel reached the North Carolina agreement in September 2011.

Which company co-produced the film in China?

DMG also distributed the film in China alongside Disney.

What did DMG initially suggest the boy sidekick should be?

Louis D'Esposito rejected it, not wanting a repeat of the sidekick from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Which future Falcon actor auditioned for the Mandarin role?

He would go on to play Sam Wilson starting with Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Whose funeral pushed the UK premiere back by a day?

The premiere had been set for April 17, 2013, and moved to the following day.

What share of the box office gross did Paramount receive?

Disney had paid Paramount at least $115 million for the worldwide distribution rights in 2010.

Which Apocalypse Now character influenced the Mandarin?

Black avoided making him Chinese to sidestep the Fu Manchu stereotype.

Which unusual ability does Killian gain from prolonged exposure to his own treatment?

He also has superhuman strength and can generate extreme heat.

Ty Simpkins reprised his child role in a cameo in which later film?

Simpkins has said he has a three-picture deal with Marvel Studios.