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How Iron Man Redefined Superhero Tone
- Iron Man (2008) redefined the modern superhero movie by centering tone and humor around a single actor's performance.
- Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark established the MCU's emotional-comedic DNA and influenced subsequent Marvel films.
Why Origin Stories Are Easier To Tell
- Origin stories let filmmakers use smaller, contained stakes to build character and audience empathy.
- As heroes gain prominence, storytelling must scale to higher stakes and coordination among characters, making later films harder to pull off.
Investor Thought The Movie Would Flop
- Van Lathan recounts a friend who invested in Iron Man and saw empty theaters in Vegas on opening Saturday.
- The investor later returned ecstatic after Sunday screenings sold out, illustrating the film's unexpected breakout success.