Though inside sources repeatedly state that "Iron Man 3" won't have the Mandarin as its main villain, the film will be at least partially set in China. Today Disney, Marvel and DMG Entertainment announced that the upcoming superhero flick will be co-produced in China and will shoot there later this year.
In the press release sent out (which you can see in full over at ComingSoon.net), there was no mention of the context of "Iron Man 3's" scenes in China. All that was said was that this installment will "further build upon [the series'] compelling storyline" and that the Chinese scenes will add "a local flavor." The plan is to have "Iron Man 3" start filming in the US in May and move to China in late summer 2012.
We'll be the first to admit that we have a lot of fun trying to puzzle out what upcoming comic book films are about before they hit theaters instead of letting the filmmakers reveal their secrets on their own time, but this news really does seem to point at a Mandarin storyline. When Ben Kingsley was announced as the film's villain last week, insiders were quick to clarify that he wouldn't be playing Iron Man's archnemesis. Of course, that didn't stop us from speculating that he would be anyways.
"Iron Man 3" is said to be based on Warren Ellis's "Invincible Iron Man" storyline, "Extremis." In it, the main villain's name is Aldrich Killian and he doesn't have any direct ties to China. However, he and his coworker, Maya Hansen, do sell the superhuman serum they produce to terrorists, so it could be that those terrorists are based out of China. Or it could just be that director Shane Black and writer Drew Pearce are trying to continue to keep the Mandarin's involvement a secret. Who's to say that Aldrich and the Mandarin won't both be in the film? If there's anything we've learned from the third installments of superhero film series, it's that they tend to go way over the top with villains.
In addition to Kingsley, all the major cast members are expected to return for "Iron Man 3." It's set to be released on May 3, 2013.
What do you make of "Iron Man 3" being set partially in China? Let us know in the comments section below or on Twitter!
{ 0 comments... Views All / Send Comment! }
Post a Comment