Talking to The Huffington Post, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was quizzed on the return of Robert Downey Jr. in future instalments of the Iron Man and The Avengers franchises ("It certainly is our plan to continue to have Robert Downey in the persona of Tony Stark for many, many years to come") and the hugely unexpected twist in the threequel involving Sir Ben Kingsley's 'The Mandarin'. He also comments on the kind of star power that the Disney owned studio now has and whether there are any concerns that the most obscure movie of "Phase Two" - Guardians of the Galaxy - will alienate the regular moviegoing audience. What do you guys think?
On Whether He's Worried About Robert Downey Jr. Not Returning As Tony Stark/Iron Man:
Well, look, I don't think Robert will be playing this character for another 30 years, and I certainly hope the character stays in movies for the next 30 years -- just like James Bond. I would say before George Lazenby and Roger Moore, Sean Connery was James Bond. It will take a while to fill any shoes, whether it's filmmaker shoes or writer shoes or certainly actor shoes. I think Tony Stark is an interesting enough and rich enough character that he can persevere. That being said, I hope that doesn't happen any time soon. It certainly is our plan to continue to have Robert Downey in the persona of Tony Stark for many, many years to come.
On How And Why They Decided To Uniquely Reimagine 'The Mandarin':
It was one of the early ideas in development that we became very excited about. We knew what we wanted to do with Tony in the film, but with the villains, there is certainly reinterpretation that is required; Iron Man's rogue's gallery is not a deep bench, let's put it that way. It felt like a very Shane Black thing to do. It is very much The Mandarin as symbol and fear-monger, which is what he was in the comics. This is a very modern, if not post-modern, interpretation of that.
On Whether He Believes Marvel Can Get ANYONE To Star In Their Films:
No, I don't feel that way. But I feel very, very lucky that we've developed a reputation as a safe haven for people who want to play. Again, getting back to the notion of playing in the sandbox -- it is a safe sandbox to play in. I think people are saying, "Oh, maybe I can go into these waters that I haven't before and not drown." We have a very strong, guiding hand. What Sir Ben has done with this character -- I went to Sir Ben's cottage in the middle of England and pitched him on what the character was and, boy, he embraced it right away. That's fun.
On Adding Robert Redford To The Cast Of Captain America: The Winter Solider:
You talk with agents every day and they keep you abreast of who's doing what, who's available and who's interested in what. We got an incoming call about Robert Redford, which is not a call you get every day and it's a call you don't want to screw up. It was very exciting. Mr. Redford has already shot his first day for us on "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." We're very lucky that caliber of actor is so trusting of us.
On Whether He's Worried Films Like Guardians of the Galaxy Will Alienate Audiences:
I think we'd make movies very differently if we were only interested in the hardcore comic book fan. The truth of the matter is, it's very important to us that every movie stands alone; that every movie can provide an amazing two hours-plus of entertainment, with a beginning, middle and end. We try to have them work on both layers: For people who are following along and connecting the dots, it'll work, and for people who have never seen any of the other movies, it'll still work. I'd like to think as we make more movies and they become more successful, there are less and less people that have never seen any of the other ones. That allows us [some leeway]; we've established our own continuity within the movies. But it's really all about what's best for the movie, one at a time. Then, also, an overarching plan that can bob and weave. But it's always making sure that we're paying the closest attention to the single movie at hand.
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. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Don Cheadle as Rhodey/War Machine
Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian
Rebecca Hall as Dr. Maya Hansen
Ashley Hamilton as Jack Taggert
James Badge Dale as Eric Savin
Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
RELEASE DATE: May 3rd, 2013 (US).