Iron Man 3 Forum

Justin Theroux managed to write the Iron Man 2 script solo while combining the elements fans love of Tony, some key story arcs, the Black Widow, and a lead-up for The Avengers. The movie made over $50 million more than its predecessor worldwide and got mostly positive reviews. I get it isn't as popular as the original and didn't totally destroy the box office, but I think the consensus opinion is Theroux did a good job. Yet there was never any talk about bringing him back for the sequel. Did he not want to? Or did Marvel Studios just want someone else? I think this is a bad sign for Iron Man 3 and I would like to know the reasons behind this choice.

He was only brought into the project because Downey liked working with him in Tropic Thunder, for this one he decided to bring his longtime friend (director and writer of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) Shane Black. At least that's what was said by Downey himself.

Also, Iron Man 2 is viewed as a vastly inferior sequel, if anything this is good news.

@Black_Rose: I agree. With Johansson gone, and the fact that the movie does not have to sacrifice story so that it can tie in to the avengers, I am excited for this new installment.

I re-watched the film a few weeks ago and I still didn't care for it that much.

Because Iron Man 2 wasn't good.

Iron Man 2 was almost the best. Unfortunately, it decided to be a comic book film rather than a film about someone not giving a shit about the value of their own life. Theroux's script captured the characters fine, and he brought great writing to the Tony death plotline - but then after the fight with Rhodes, it became far too much Avengers lead up, and forgot it was interesting in the first place.

@VioletEyedDragon said:

I get it isn't as popular as the original and didn't totally destroy the box office, but I think the consensus opinion is Theroux did a good job.

Not really. No one I know liked Iron Man 2. I'd say it has good ideas in it, and real pretty CG, but is an overall failure.

Not that I'd say it was Theroux's fault though, I think it's clear that Marvel took the reigns and forced them to alter the flick in all sorts of horrible ways (shoving in 4 plots, 2 enemies, all the boring avengers lead-in shit, etc.) I'm not sure about the real situation of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if Theroux didn't want to do the next film, just as Jon Favreau left because controll was ripped away from him.

I've rewatched Iron Man 2 twice and I still don't think its any good. In fact I'd say its the worst Marvel Studios film yet. I'm glad that Shane Black is getting pretty much all control over Iron Man 3 and that he won't sacrifice anything to lead into The Avengers. Iron Man 2 was just so crammed full of stuff that it just didn't work. It had some interesting ideas but overall, it was a gigantic mess.

@Delta_Assault said:

Iron Man 2 wasn't a very good sequel.

seriously. why do you think that?

@Black_Rose said:

He was only brought into the project because Downey liked working with him in Tropic Thunder, for this one he decided to bring his longtime friend (director and writer of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) Shane Black. At least that's what was said by Downey himself.

Also, Iron Man 2 is viewed as a vastly inferior sequel, if anything this is good news.

thanks for explaining that. Still, I wish he was back.

@CrimsonAvenger said:

I've rewatched Iron Man 2 twice and I still don't think its any good. In fact I'd say its the worst Marvel Studios film yet. I'm glad that Shane Black is getting pretty much all control over Iron Man 3 and that he won't sacrifice anything to lead into The Avengers. Iron Man 2 was just so crammed full of stuff that it just didn't work. It had some interesting ideas but overall, it was a gigantic mess.

i liked it. it had more character development and a much cooler villain. It also dealed with bigger issues and filled in some of the plot holes of the previous one.

@Ghost_of_GhostDad: I agree it was dumb to hire someone who wasn't Russian. Seriously, there are a million Russian actresses who would kill for a chance at that role.

I thought the second film was terrible, the writing being one of the main reasons.

@Mr_skeleton said:

I thought the second film was terrible, the writing being one of the main reasons.

please explain.

@jackanderson said:

Am I the only one who really liked Iron Man 2 and found it really well plotted and well paced? Because it sure seems like it. I don't like being part of the minority. It feels lonely.

i agree with you. That is much of the reason i started this thread. I loved the movie. I think it is the best movie lead-up to The Avengers.

Probably because Iron Man 2 was terrible. But I'm really looking forward to what Shane Black will do with the next one, he's an amazing writer.

@VioletEyedDragon said:

i agree with you. That is much of the reason i started this thread. I loved the movie. I think it is the best movie lead-up to The Avengers.

But how well does it stand on its own, as a part of the Iron Man movie series and not as something meant to lead into The Avengers?

Frankly, I'm glad that The Avengers is almost here, because at least this means that the next few Marvel movies at least won't have to try to shoehorn in ties to The Avengers or Samuel L. Jackson.

@VioletEyedDragon said:

@Mr_skeleton said:

I thought the second film was terrible, the writing being one of the main reasons.

please explain.

First of all it was obvious the whole avengers plot didn't fit the movie at all and that they didn't really know what to do with it. And as for the parts in the film where they didn't try to set up the avengers they had the half baked drinking problem sub-plot and it seems like the only interaction between the characters were through snarky remarks.

@Mr_skeleton said:

@VioletEyedDragon said:

@Mr_skeleton said:

I thought the second film was terrible, the writing being one of the main reasons.

please explain.

First of all it was obvious the whole avengers plot didn't fit the movie at all and that they didn't really know what to do with it. And as for the parts in the film where they didn't try to set up the avengers they had the half baked drinking problem sub-plot and it seems like the only interaction between the characters were through snarky remarks.

hmm. i disagree. I thought the whole point was Iron Man realizing he wasn't going to be able to keep Iron Man to himself. I thought the drinking problem scene was a good hint at future events, and it also stopped the movie from seeming like an ad for liquor.

@VioletEyedDragon: The drinking problem is such an important part of Tony Stark that I found it absolutely ridiculous how they introduced it and dealt with it in literally 15 minutes in this movie. I doubt it'll be touched upon in later flicks, they just put it in there to say "look at how troubled he is and how deep our movie is", hell, he drinks in The Avengers and shows no sign of ever having a problem.

Don't get me wrong, I liked this movie because it was dumb fun, but godamm, those "character" moments where so poorly constructed.