Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has discussed the polarizing Mandarin twist from Iron Man 3.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was trucking along rather well until it was hit with its first bout of fan pushback with 2013’s Iron Man 3. Set to feature the elusive Mandarin as the main villain, audiences were excited to see the iconic character finally take on Tony Stark. Unfortunately, The Mandarin in the film, played by Ben Kingsley was nothing more than an elaborate character created to fuel fear and hysteria.
The “real” Mandarin, in fact, was Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian – though he barely resembled the character – who solely took on the Mandarin’s name. Certain fans were disappointed that the iconic Iron Man villain was reduced to a joke, while others praised the Marvel film for taking a huge, pronounced risk that paid off. Now, Marvel Studios architect Kevin Feige has opened up about the twist.
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Kevin Feige defended the polarizing twist and teased the real Mandarin in the upcoming Shang-Chi film.
“We’ve been talking about that when we do bring this character to the screen, [we] only wanted to do it when we felt we could do it supreme justice and really showcase the complexity of this character, which frankly we couldn’t do in an Iron Man movie because an Iron Man movie is about Iron Man; an Iron Man movie is about Tony Stark.So [Iron Man 3 director] Shane Black, in his film and his script that he co-wrote, came up with this fun twist that we love to this day, and it turned out to be Trevor Slattery. Just because that version wasn’t real didn’t mean there’s not a leader of the Ten Rings organization, and that is who we meet for the first time in Shang-Chi.”
“That’s what’s fun about the MCU at this stage. We can do something like Shang-Chi, introducing a brand new hero into the MCU and into the world at large. But that subtitle, The Legend of the Ten Rings, actually connects it back to the very beginning of the MCU, the Ten Rings being the organization that kidnapped Tony Stark at the very beginning of Iron Man one. And that organization was inspired by a character called the Mandarin in the comics.”
What do you think about the Mandarin twist from Iron Man 3? Do you agree with Kevin Feige? Comment below and let us know!
Here is the official synopsis for Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man 3:
Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man.
Directed by Shane Black from a script he co-wrote with Drew Pearce, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stéphanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley.
Iron Man 3 is now available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more video content in the future!
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
