Iron Man 3
Marvel ’s original plan forIron Man 3 ’s villain was very dissimilar than what we draw , with Rebecca Hall ’s Maya Hansen prepare to have a larger role before incorporated fears change these programme . As the first Marvel Cinematic Universe photographic film to reach theaters afterThe Avengers , anticipation could not have been higher forIron homo 3 in 2013 . Robert Downey Jr. ’s final solo film became the highest - grossing solo MCU film to date , as theShane Black - lead filmearned over $ 1.2 billion worldwide .
The plastic film ’s response was favorable , but the most common literary criticism ofIron Man 3is its villains . The Mandarin was sell as the main antagonist for Tony Stark ’s next adventure . Ben Kingsley play a reinvented version of a character who has a history of being portray as a bad stereotype in the comic . But , Iron Man 3surprised everyone with it ’s Mandarin twist . It was revealed Kingsley ’s character was an actor named Trevor Slattery , who was lease by Aldrich Killian ( Guy Pearce ) to play the part of the Mandarin . This alteration change the centering back to Killian for the third deed , as he power himself with Extremis and get the speckle as the film ’s big bad . Iron Man 3then ended with Pepper Potts killing Killian and Slattery being sent to prison house .
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Some viewing audience foundIron military personnel 3 ’s twist to be a refreshing changefrom the Marvel formula , but it has also served as one of the more dissentious moments in the MCU . The fake - out of including the Mandarin was not universally well - incur , althoughTony Leung will now play the real MandarininShang - Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , and Killian ’s rise was underwhelming . However , this story was only chosen after eminent rank Marvel executive director forced changes to be made toIron human beings 3 ’s villain report .
Iron Man 3’s Original Villain Plan
Just like theprior two instalment of theIron Manfranchise , the development ofIron Man 3saw many modification made to what Shane Black and writer Drew Pearce first developed . early on on , they locked on to the idea of give birth a distaff role be the main baddie of the film . The distaff villain ofIron Man 3was prepare to be Maya Hansen , giving the fibre a more pregnant role than she received in the concluding script . This other version of Hansen would ’ve served a standardised function as Killian inIron Man 3 ’s narrative , where she would be bring out as the antagonist in the third human activity . Some reports claim that the increase of Mandarin did n’t come until late drafts , but no one involved has directly confirm that was the case . alternatively , Maya would ’ve been the one displume bowed stringed instrument on the imitation Mandarin and presumptively running Advanced Idea Mechanics ( AIM ) , in addition to still devise Extremis .
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Why Rebecca Hall’s Role Was Reduced
Instead of sticking with this plan , changes toIron Man 3saw Maya Hansen ’s use as the main antagonist eliminated . Maya was introduced in the final reading of the film in a flashback to New Year ’s Eve 1999 , where she and Tony were together and collapse the Extremis formula . She re-emerge in the present Clarence Day as a pawn in Killian ’s plan , as she was the one who facilitate kidnap Pepper to get leverage on Tony . Even though Maya tried to save Tony ’s life when Killian captured him , her scourge to kill herself backfired when Killian killed her .
The conclusion to changeIron Man 3 ’s baddie from a woman to a man was n’t made because of piteous committal to writing , though , astoys were directly creditworthy . It was the belief of Marvel executives at the time that toys base on female character would n’t sell as well as if it was a man . This belief top the Marvel squad to wedge the baddie ’s gender to be changed to a man just in case kids really wanted to bribe military action name for Aldrich Killian . The changes to Maya ’s use did n’t stop there though , as Hall even confirm thather fiber was importantly reduced while shooting was take berth .
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This lesser role for Maya was the unmediated result of how Marvel , as an entire company , was construct whenIron Man 3was in growth . Fans are spry to acknowledge Kevin Feige as the one head the bang , but he did n’t have the ascendance he does now back then . Up until 2015 , Marvel Studios still had to answer to Marvel Entertainment andits CEO Ike Perlmutter . Black confirmed in the past that someone high up within Marvel did not like having a female villain inIron Man 3and mandated a change needed to be made . Black was never tell who wanted the alteration to be made ( but he insure it was n’t Feige ) — just that it had to be done . Since Perlmutter is tied towhy the MCU ’s slating did n’t include a film led by a woman or person of color until 2018(after he was out of power ) , it is largely consider that he is responsible for this change .
Iron Man 3’s Original Story Was Better
Based on what is known about the earlier versions ofIron Man 3 ’s book , what Black and Pearce planned at the start had the qualification for a better sequel . The concluding translation elaborate the fib by having Maya necessitate in Killian ’s plan , with her only significant part to the mechanics of the story coming when she helps Killian get Pepper . If Maya and Killian were compound as one character , thenIron Man 3could’ve had a more streamlined narration . The only way this could ’ve been accomplished with thestudio mandated changeswould be to eliminate Maya from the script , which would ’ve been complicated given her and Tony ’s history .
Making Maya the principal villain ofIron Man 3also would ’ve been a receive alteration for the MCU and superhero moving picture at large . The idea for Maya not to reveal her true intentions until afterward in the photographic film could ’ve allowedIron Man 3to subvert expectations from the consultation ( and maybe even Tony ) that a woman could be the smartest and most powerful soul in the room . Instead of potentially highlighting underlying sexism , Iron Man 3fell prey to genuine - life misogynism in a pursuance for potential higher financial increase . This only piss the decision to not make Maya the film ’s independent baddie all the more unsatisfying , specially when the original story could ’ve made for a better film .
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