Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was the beginning of a hugely successful journey for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film kicked off a mammoth 6-phase spree which witnessed origin stories of some of the greatest Marvel superheroes and their union as the mighty Avengers. Expectedly, the franchise raked in the big bucks and is now in Phase 5 with many exciting plot lines still to develop.
Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 2
But the going was not always smooth especially for the Iron Man franchise which pioneered the MCU. Despite the runaway success of the first film and the superstardom of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Iron Man, the sequel in 2010 almost undid the hard work of Kevin Feige and director Jon Favreau owing to many clashes on set including the difficult demands of a top actor who played the antagonist.
Also Read: Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson Made History By Helping Marvel Become the First Franchise To Stop Sexualizing Women After Colossal ‘Iron Man 2’ Failure
Mickey Rourke’s Demands Almost Destroyed Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 was a worthy successor to the first film not just for Robert Downey Jr.’s charismatic presence but also for the towering performance of Mickey Rourke who played the chilling antagonist Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash in the film. His hulking persona matched Downey Jr.’s swag and made for some of the most exciting segments in the film. But behind the scenes, Jon Favreau and Marvel faced a constant battle after casting the Oscar nominee for the role.
Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in Iron Man 2
According to inside sources, Mickey Rourke outlined many strange conditions to Kevin Feige and Jon Favreau for his character Whiplash despite his alleged ignorance of the character’s nuances in the comic books. Some of these demands included Whiplash sporting a Samurai bun, being accompanied by a bird on his shoulder, and dictating the kind of tattoos he would wear. While Favreau and Feige conceded to these conditions, Rourke took it a step further by hiking up his salary to a huge figure which ultimately he was given, thanks to Robert Downey Jr. agreeing to waive off some part of his pay check.
Also Read: Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane from Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man Was Actually the First Hydra Villain – Theory Explained
Iron Man 2 Was A Challenging Directorial for Jon Favreau
With the stupendous reception that Iron Man enjoyed, a sequel was an automatic choice. But the process was not a bed of roses for director Jon Favreau second time around. With Iron Man, the actor-filmmaker had ample time to rework kinks in the script, plan his visual effects, and leave room for improvisation on sets. This allowed both him and his lead actor Robert Downey Jr. to put their best foot forward and deliver a blockbuster.
Jon Favreau with Robert Downey Jr.
With Iron Man 2, the overwhelming pressure to match up to the first film was already prevalent. With the sequel being greenlit immediately, Marvel went into overdrive with predetermined sets and visual effects already in place before filming began. This, in turn, restricted Favreau and Downey Jr. considerably by not allowing room for improvisation and creativity as director and actor. Despite the stressful times, Iron Man 2 went on to become another high grosser in the box office as well as receiving appreciation from fans.
Also Read: Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man Co-Star Hasn’t Seen $585 Million Movie, Called it ‘Easiest Job Ever’
Source: Collider
