Iron Man is a 2008 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Iron Man, released in various countries on April 30, 2008. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film is about Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a billionaire industrialist who is captured by terrorists in Afghanistan. Ordered to build a missile for them, Stark uses his resources instead to build a powered exoskeleton to make his escape. Returning to America, Stark improves his armor and becomes the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow plays his personal assistant Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard plays jet pilot James Rhodes, and Jeff Bridges plays the villainous Obadiah Stane. The film was in development from 1990 at Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, and New Line Cinema four years later, before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2006. They put the project in production as their first self-financed film. Favreau signed on as director, aiming for a realistic feel, and he chose to shoot the film primarily in California, rejecting the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous superhero movies set in New York City-esque environments. During filming, the actors were free to create their own dialogue (an uncommon practice in other big budget films) because pre-production was focused on the story and action. Rubber and metal versions of the armors, created by Stan Winston's company, were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character. Marvel and Paramount Pictures, the distributor, have planned a $50 million marketing campaign for the film, which is modeled on Paramount's successful promotion of Transformers (2007); Hasbro and Sega will sell merchandise, and product placement deals were made with Audi, Burger King and 7-Eleven. The film's stars have signed on for a sequel. Favreau had planned out a trilogy, depicting Stark's alcoholism, Rhodes becoming War Machine, and the introduction of the Mandarin, whose presence is foreshadowed in this film. Downey also cameos as Stark in the upcoming The Incredible Hulk.
