Must See: New IRON MAN 3 Poster!

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Love this new poster for the upcoming IMAX release of IRON MAN 3. The skin of Tony Stark's armor has been peeled off! But most of all, it's those sparks that really make the poster ;-)

Everyone is looking to the right of the camera - except for Paltrow who has her eye caught by something else entirely. What is she looking at? Perhaps her hubby is a tad upset with her proximity to RDJ? Coldplay buddy. Coldplay.

Here's the movie's storyline:
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?

IRON MAN 3 opens on May 3.

Source: IMAX

Yes! MUST WATCH: New IRON MAN 3 Trailer - Hulkbuster!!

Here we go. Marvel at it's best. Finally a bigger reveal on IRON MAN 3 and it's looking GOOD. More Mandarin. More Potts. More Stark. More Hulkbuster!

Shane Black is also relieving many fears about his ability to handle a big budget tentpole - nothing wrong with this thing so far.

Even Mandarin's accent is growing on me: "I'm gonna offer a choice - do you want an empty life or a meaningful death?"

Here's the storyline for the movie:
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?

Enjoy!! IRON MAN 3 opens on May 3.

WHOA. New IRON MAN 3 Poster Reveals Iron Legion!

IRON MAN 3 is looking extremely inviting right about now. Seems the Iron Legion rumors have been verified here. For those not in the know, the Iron Legion are a series of suits created and controlled by Tony Stark through Extremis (nanotechnology). Apparently these suits have interchangeable parts to enable various configurations of weapons, defense, etc.

Question: Are the suits on his side or has The Mandarin managed to gain control of them in the poster? Thoughts?

Here's the movies storyline:
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?

IRON  MAN 3 opens on May 3.

Source: Yahoo

Helm's Deep: New IRON MAN 3 Character Posters

Take a new look at IRON MAN 3's leading talent for Shane Black's first crack at the Marvel universe. First up we have Gwyneth Paltrow with a distinctly damaged helm and lots of sparks.

Followed by Robert Downey Jr. with the same helm and more sparks.

Not sure of the order of things with these posters - was Potts sad to be missing Stark, or angry in the inappropriate gift from him that still had sparks flying from it?

IRON MAN 3 opens on May 3.

MUST SEE: New IRON MAN 3 Character Poster For Ben Kingsley's The Mandarin!

Yes! This is what I was hoping for all along! I wanted a fresh take on The Mandarin and it looks like we are getting it. I think everyone kind of took a step back when we heard Ben Kingsley's accent for The Mandarin in the trailer for IRON MAN 3 - and I still don't know what to make of it! That's the beauty of it - so abstract. Where are they going with this character?

Well know we get a much better taste through this single character poster. And I am loving it! You can see the Asian influence on the sleeves and pants and yet it is unmistakeably camouflage. He is posed as a thinker with a heavy weight upon him. I'm liking the incense burning behind him and the what are those... dog tags in the right foreground shadow?

Creates a lot more questions for me, but the desire to see IRON MAN 3 has just been kicked up a notch!

IRON MAN 3 opens on May 3.

A Stark Message For The Holidays...

Happy holidays from Tony Stark! Coming from the official Iron Man Facebook page, Marvel has gifted us an appropriately themed wintery message and a new image.

What do Marvel and Shane Black have in store for us with IRON MAN 3? In this post Jon Favreau production - how will what we know and love about Stark continue to grow? At least we know this one will be in 3D! A great place to start.

Here is the storyline for the movie:
Marvel Studios’ 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?

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of Tales of Suspense (#39) in 1963 and had his solocomic book debut with The Invincible Iron Man (#1) in May of 1968. Iron Man 3 is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing and Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Stephen Broussard, Victoria Alonso, Alan Fine, Charles Newirth, Stan Lee and Dan Mintz are exec producing. 

The film releases May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

MUST WATCH: First Trailer For IRON MAN 3!

...And here it is. Three successive Marvel posts and BLAM - here's your trailer to ogle over for awhile :-)

Brace yourself. Tony Stark is handling the fallout from Loki's New York invasion in a very normal, human way. It's refreshing. It's brilliant. The stakes are high to have that much fun in a suit my friends.

Here's the movie's storyline:
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?

Director: Shane Black
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley

IRON MAN 3 hits it's thrusters on May 3rd, 2013.

MARVEL UPDATE: ANT-MAN Starts Shooting In January * A New IRON MAN 3 Poster * And Our First Look At Ben Kingsley As The Mandarin!!

Artwork: Gerald Parel

Wallopin' websnappers! Marvel has been busy. And they intend on staying busy! Here's out latest out of the Marvel camp:

ANT-MAN starts shooting in London in January says The Examiner: ANT-MAN centers on Biophysicist Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym, who becomes a superhero after discovering a chemical substance that allows him to change his size. Armed with a helmet and suit that could control ants, Pym would shrink down to the size of an insect to become the mystery-solving Ant-Man. Scott Lang became Pym's successor after stealing Ant-Man suit to save his daughter Cassie from a heart condition. At one point the film adaptation was said to involve both Pym and Lang, however this is to be seen after the film comes out in theaters.

Three-time British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA Award nominated English filmmaker Edgar Wright will direct "Ant-Man" from an adapted screenplay written by himself and BAFTA Award nominee Joe Cornish. Wright has been working on the script for over 6 years, with a third draft given to Marvel in June, 2011. The studio officially presented the character Ant Man with an entertaining and riveting test video at Comic-Con 2012. Ant Man had very unique abilities where he transforms instantly from full size to tiny size and and vice versa. He is also portrayed as a trained operative.

Interested in being cast as an actor or background performer in Marvel's ANT-MAN? Check out this site for all the particulars.

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Here's a very cool poster for IRON MAN 3 featuring Tony Stark's Iron Man Suit Armory along with our very first (front-on) look at Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin.

Here's what producer Kevin Feige had to say about the villain:
"It’s less about his specific ethnicity than the symbolism of various cultures and iconography that he perverts for his own end."


Don't forget about the release of the first full trailer for IRON MAN 3 tomorrow!! 

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Marvel Studios’ 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?

Amped yet or what? The Mandarin is the leader of The Ten Rings so with this confrontation we should see some spectacular stuff. It should round out the trilogy. Can't wait!

Source: Examiner

Must Watch: Trailer For The Trailer Of IRON MAN 3!

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Yes, it's another trailer for a trailer, but this one is quite well done and does precisely what it is intended to do: Make you watch the full trailer that's going to drop on Tuesday (October 23)!

Here's the movie's storyline:
Marvel Studios’ 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?

The movie headlines Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan and Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin. Also starring are Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale and William Sadler.

IRON MAN 3 opens on May 3, 2013. Looking great so far!


Check out the trailer for the trailer:

IRON MAN 3 And THOR: THE DARK WORLD Have Been Confirmed To Be In 3D - Also ANT-MAN Coming In 2015!

Interestingly enough, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (April 4, 2014) has not yet been confirmed by Disney as being in 3D - but I'm 99% sure it will be. Same goes for ANT-MAN which should also go with the extra dimension.

Speaking of ANT-MAN, it has received its release date too - namely November 6, 2015. Plenty o' time for Marvel to weave their magic once again on this beloved comic.

We do have official confirmation that IRON MAN 3 (May 3, 2013) and THOR: THE DARK WORLD (November 8, 2013) will both be in 3D - and by that I am safely assuming converted 3D. Hopefully the same conversion house, budget and time allotments are in place once again to repeat the fine examples of converted 3D that was bestowed upon us for THE AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA and THOR.

Also officially announced is GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY with a August 1, 2014 release date. Pixar and Disney Animation both have unnamed projects booked with November 25, 2015 and November 7, 2014 respectively.

Personally I can't wait to see IRON MAN 3 in 3D! it works soooo well. Seeing Stark blasting about in THE AVENGERS cried out for more.

Must See: Amazing Aerial Images From The IRON MAN 3 Set!!

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I have to admit my jaw dropped on these shots from the set of IRON MAN 3. It looks like some kind of intricate combination practical / visual effects shot that Shane Black has had up his sleeve. Perhaps a slo-mo shot? Would they dare drop all those stunt people at the same time in that close of a proximity to each other?

It looks to me as though Tony Stark is in mid-transition to becoming Iron Man in what seems to be an entirely new suit. What kind of suit? Does Extremis have something to do with this? Good question.

The stuntwork sounds amazing on this production and reminds me of the work done on MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL.

Note that the cameras they are using do not seem to be in stereoscopic configuration and so it's fairly clear IRON MAN 3 will be post converted to 3D just like CAP, THOR and THE AVENGERS.

Here's some official info about the movie:
Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated film “Iron Man 3,” directed by Shane Black, has production locations in North Carolina, Raleigh/Durham, Miami, Florida and China.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,”) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”) as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Happy Hogan. Set for release in the U.S. on May 3, 2013, Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

“Iron Man 3” continues the epic, big-screen adventures of the world’s favorite billionaire inventor/Super Hero, Tony Stark aka “Iron Man.” Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing the film. Executive producers on the project include Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz.

The creative production team on the film includes two-time Oscar®-winning director of photography John Toll, ASC (“Braveheart,” “Legends of the Fall”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“The Hangover,” “Due Date”), editors Jeffrey Ford, A.C.E. (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) and Peter S. Elliot (“Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace,” “Contagion”).

Oh and you have GOT to watch Robert Downey Jr.'s entrance to Comic-Con this year! Hilarious!! Check it out:

IRON MAN 3 opens on May 3, 2013.

Photo source: Marvel's Facebook

Marvel Update: New Logos For Franchise Sequels And The Trailer For The 10 Disc AVENGERS ASSEMBLED Blu-ray Set

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As if we really needed further validation after Marvel's THE AVENGERS moved into third position on the all time worldwide box office, but here it is: The movie has now claimed third spot on the domestic North American market as well.

Here are the accumulated stats as of June 27, 2012:

Domestic Box Office: $601,215,735
Foreign Box Office: $837,900,000
Worldwide Total: $1,439,115,735 

Approaching one and a half BILLION dollars. I think we all knew that the ensemble movie had the capability of being a huge success, but #3 all time is a HUGE leap to make. I remember claiming when the movie was in production that THE AVENGERS had a legitimate chance of catching and passing THE DARK KNIGHT as the top superhero movie of all time, but wow. Almost $1.5b.

And Marvel is not resting on it's laurels either. Onward and upward. We've got their official branding ready (top photo) for their upcoming sequels in the Marvel universe, though I would wager that the titles may be augmented somewhat from simple numbers. The shots are from Ciné 2012.

To Cap (pun intended) it all off, Marvel has unveiled their new AVENGERS ASSEMBLED 10 disc blu-ray set that we spoke of before. You can order it from the official website at $189.99 or you can order from Amazon for an even lower $152.99.

Here's what's included:
• Marvel’s The Avengers (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray) 
• Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray) 
• Thor (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray) 
• Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray) 
• The Incredible Hulk (Blu-ray) 
• Iron Man (Blu-ray) 
• Bonus Disc - “The Phase One Archives” (Blu-ray) 
• Collectible packaging with exclusive memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Check out the trailer!

 

Happy Marvel endings to you all... Bring on IRON MAN 3!

Sources: Logos via BadTaste | Trailer via Marvel

Check Out The Early IRON MAN 3 Poster...

Yes, this won't be the official poster for the movie but it's cool to see what they have already for IRON MAN 3. The image is from the Licensing Expo 2012 in Las Vegas.

You can follow all of our IRON MAN 3 coverage as it happens with this link.

Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated film “Iron Man 3,” directed by Shane Black, has commenced production in Wilmington, North Carolina. The production schedule will also include locations in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Miami, Florida and China.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,”) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”) as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Happy Hogan. Set for release in the U.S. on May 3, 2013, Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

“Iron Man 3” continues the epic, big-screen adventures of the world’s favorite billionaire inventor/Super Hero, Tony Stark aka “Iron Man.” Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing the film. Executive producers on the project include Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz.

The creative production team on the film includes two-time Oscar®-winning director of photography John Toll, ASC (“Braveheart,” “Legends of the Fall”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“The Hangover,” “Due Date”), editors Jeffrey Ford, A.C.E. (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) and Peter S. Elliot (“Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace,” “Contagion”).

Stay tuned for more! IRON MAN 3 opens May 3, 2013.


Source: Comingsoon

Must See: Official IRON MAN 3 Image - Stark And His Suits

We've seen some spy shots already from the IRON MAN 3 set in North Carolina and now we have something official from Marvel.

A rather cool shot of Tony Stark standing in front of his menagerie of Iron Man suits. Which shall I drive today? :-) Each movie, including THE AVENGERS, had Stark utilizing an increasingly complex (but faster) method of getting on and off his suit when he is in peril. The robot arms in IRON MAN, the suitcase in IRON MAN 2, walking THROUGH robotic arms in THE AVENGERS as well as the wrist laser guided, airborne suit. So what's next for IRON MAN 3? Good question.

And what's up with the partially obscured suit, second from the left? Is that a "stealth suit" or is it just a see through mannequin that is displaying various parts of a suit? It seems to me to probably be the latter as the suits look like they are positioned in chronological order. No War Machine though. Hmmm. Thoughts?


Here's the official press release: 
BURBANK, Calif. (June 4, 2012) – Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated film “Iron Man 3,” directed by Shane Black, has commenced production in Wilmington, North Carolina. The production schedule will also include locations in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Miami, Florida and China.
Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,”) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”) as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Happy Hogan. Set for release in the U.S. on May 3, 2013, Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

“Iron Man 3” continues the epic, big-screen adventures of the world’s favorite billionaire inventor/Super Hero, Tony Stark aka “Iron Man.” Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing the film. Executive producers on the project include Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz.

The creative production team on the film includes two-time Oscar®-winning director of photography John Toll, ASC (“Braveheart,” “Legends of the Fall”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“The Hangover,” “Due Date”), editors Jeffrey Ford, A.C.E. (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) and Peter S. Elliot (“Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace,” “Contagion”).

Marvel Studios most recently produced the critically acclaimed “Marvel’s The Avengers,” which set the all-time, domestic 3-day weekend box office record at $207.4 million. The film, which is currently in release, continues to shatter box office records and is The Walt Disney Studios’ highest-grossing global and domestic release of all time and marks the studios’ fifth film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.

In the summer of 2011, Marvel successfully launched two new franchises with “Thor,” starring Chris Hemsworth, and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” starring Chris Evans. Both films opened #1 at the box office and have grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. In 2010 “Iron Man 2,” starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the #1 spot in its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million.

In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” “Iron Man,” in which Robert Downey Jr. originally dons the Super Hero’s powerful armor and stars alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008, and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million in its opening weekend. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk,” marking its second number one opener of that summer.

ABOUT MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

IRON MAN 3 Update: Ben Kingsley Is The Mandarin? Guy Pierce Is Aldrich Killian? *AND* First Set Photos!!

IRON MAN 3 Set Location At Wilmington International Airport

Update on Shane Black's IRON MAN 3 now shooting in Wilmington, NC! Our friends over at LatinoReview got the goods on a potential casting scoop that sees Ben Kingsley suiting up as The Mandarin but not as originally suspected. He won't be the main antagonist but merely a distraction and partner to the real villain that Tony Stark must overcome, Guy Pierce's Aldrich Killian. Killian is a scientist who uncovers something called the Extremis Virus (potentially nanobot technology) which he then uses to create an "Extremis army" of superpowered evildoers.

Robert Downey Jr. On IRON MAN 3 Set

That being said, there is another movie site claiming that The Mandarin is the main villain. For a movie that only cameos The Mandarin there is a lot of action going on surrounding his character apparently. What sort of action? Well this came from CBM: "Those that did get a glimpse inside [the Cape Fear Club] reported seeing extras dressed in military uniforms and suits. The extras in suits were described as looking like Secret Service men." The site also claims that a source "involved with the production" reassured them that The Mandarin is "definitely" the villain. He said Mandarin had a set of twins that did most of his dirty work for him. Another source who had visited EUE/Screen Gems Studios told us that the sets they were building included Chinese storefronts."

And it's known that the next location for the IRON MAN production is China. 

So I think it's safe to say that The Mandarin is definitely in IRON MAN 3 but to what extent has not been brought to light. With two different versions of what is going on with the movie I can only go by past performance with regard to sources and that means LatinoReview gets the nod. A limited exposure to The Mandarin, perhaps setting him up for another Marvel universe movie - though I can't see that happening with THE AVENGERS 2 as Thanos is set to reign.

IRON MAN 3 Set, Wilmington, NC

The closest thing we have to a storyline thus far came from producer Kevin Feige when he disclosed:
"So Iron Man 3 has been structured specifically to be the antidote to The Avengers... Circumstances in the story separate Tony from having access to anything. We wanted to take Tony back to, metaphorically speaking, the cave from Iron Man, the first half of Iron Man, when he's cut off from the world and needs just focus on his intellects to get himself out of his situation. So he's not calling Thor, he's not calling Captain America, he can't press a special button to have the helicarrier come rescue him, so I think that'll be a nice complement to the team up of Avengers." 

I've selected a few shots from the Wilmington, NC sets for you to look at, but feel free to browse all of them right here.

Click here for all of our IRON MAN 3 coverage! IM3 opens on May 3, 2013. Still no official word on whether IM3 will be the first of the franchise and the fourth Marvel movie to be converted to 3D, but it's a safe wager at this point.