Iron Man is a cornerstone character in Marvel Comics’ lexicon of heroes, but it’s taken over fifteen years for the film adaptation to make it to the big screen. Universal Pictures acquired the rights in 1990, but sold the rights to Twentieth Century Fox in 1996 after failing to develop a suitable vehicle for the character. New Line Cinema purchased the rights from Fox and eventually sold the rights back to Marvel in 2005 when their deal with Nick Cassavetes fell through. Marvel Studios began working on Iron Man in November 2005, making it their first independently produced feature film.
Iron Man synopsis courtesy of ironmanmovie.com:
Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the story of a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.
The film also stars Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow and Oscar nominees Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges.
Iron Man is scheduled to be released May 2, 2008.