Iron Man (2008)
On the flip-side, another – albeit markedly different – movie was making history as well. This isn’t to to say that Iron Man was totally removed from The Dark Knight’s reality; far from it, the War on Terror plays a major role in Tony Stark’s updated origin story. Yet Iron Man was a buoyant, far breezier outing than its competitor, and it once again offered something new to audiences.
Indeed, the papers may ask “Who is Iron Man?” at the film’s climax, but we need to remember that before it was released moviegoers were asking that same question themselves. It seems laughable nowadays, especially when Tony Stark is front and center in Infinity War’s promotional material. But it’s true that this is all due to Iron Man’s success.
Admittedly, Iron Man doesn’t exactly revolutionize the superhero movie. It hits many of the same narrative beats that other films did (and still do) continue to check. And yet, with its slick one-liners, a host of armor-porn (and that spine-tingling post-credit stinger) director Jon Favreau laid a rock hard foundation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to flourish upon.