Tony Stark is a super genius, and everything he invents and creates is top-notch. But with Pepper Potts bringing Natasha and a team of agents into Stark Industries to arrest Obadiah Stane, danger could strike at any moment. There's no time to make a second arc reactor. The only option is to use the outdated first-generation unit with insufficient power to go up against Obadiah Stane's Iron Monger.
Iron Man arrives just in time to rescue Pepper Potts, Agent Coulson, and the others, but he ends up locked in a fierce battle with Iron Monger. The two clash from the ground to the sky, and then from the sky to the ocean. The Hollywood area is ravaged beyond recognition. The terrazzo stars on the Walk of Fame are shattered, several huge craters are smashed into Highland Center, and the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre is reduced to ruins.
Since Tony Stark has no superpowers, he relies entirely on his Iron Man suit. But with inadequate energy supply, he's no match for the Iron Monger and is completely on the back foot.
Meanwhile, Obadiah Stane's mercenaries break into Stark Industries, preparing to wipe out Pepper Potts and Agent Coulson.
"Where's Black Widow?"
Suddenly, Drake notices someone is missing. Of course, he doesn't believe that the agent named Natasha Romanoff would flee the scene.
Right then, the scene cuts to Natasha Romanoff taking off her blazer to reveal a Lycra bodysuit underneath. Just like her codename, Black Widow has completed her transformation and is lethal. She attacks the mercenaries from the flanks, using elite hand-to-hand combat skills and an array of advanced tech weapons. Through incredible stealth and precision strikes, she takes down one mercenary after another.
"Cool!"
Watching the agile, cunning beauty fight like a fox, the theater erupts in admiration.
Drake's eyes go wide as if about to pop out. Just this segment alone makes the movie totally worth a theater ticket…
As expected, the so-called leaked version online was never Duke's final cut.
"Oh goddess…" someone nearby whispers, "That's my goddess… Oh God, save me."
To Drake's left, a boy suddenly says to his friend, "From today, Duke is my enemy!"
His friend asks, puzzled, "Wasn't Duke your favorite director? How did he become your enemy?"
"Because I've decided to become a Scarlett Johansson fan," he says matter-of-factly. "Duke stole my goddess. If he's not my enemy, who is?"
The boy doesn't lower his voice. Drake clearly sees several people around nodding in agreement.
Men, in the end, are all animals driven by hormones.
While Natasha Romanoff is showing off her moves, Iron Man lures Iron Monger into high altitudes. The freezing temperatures cause Iron Monger to ice over and plummet like a rock. Though low on power, Iron Man uses backup energy to slowly descend back to Stark Industries.
The factory, once used for manufacturing weapons, is now a complete wreck.
After successive ambushes, Natasha Romanoff is finally spotted by the mercenaries. She then showcases another skill—deadly marksmanship.
With Black Widow's support, Agent Coulson and the others launch an internal assault. The two-pronged attack crushes the mercenaries, and the groups manage to regroup near the arc reactor.
It seems like a happy ending is about to unfold.
Is that it? Many audience members wonder aloud.
Of course not. Iron Monger reappears, Tony Stark is in grave danger, and he lures the enemy above the arc reactor, intending to use the massive energy from its self-destruction to kill Iron Monger. But Pepper Potts, in charge of the reactor, hesitates to pull the trigger.
At the critical moment, Natasha Romanoff jumps out and directly presses the self-destruct button.
Iron Monger is done for. Iron Man obviously won't die, but their battle has caused such a commotion that the government and military must give the public and media an explanation.
At the press conference, Tony Stark does not read the prepared speech from Agent Coulson. Instead, he announces to the media—"I am Iron Man!"
The scene causes an uproar. Reporters go wild. The theater is shaken. The audience's emotions are set ablaze.
From the beginning until now, Tony Stark has brought a whole new kind of superhero. His charisma is off the charts, and revealing his identity as Iron Man pushes it to the peak!
In all of Hollywood's superhero movies, no one has ever openly announced their identity like this.
All the traditional superheroes hide behind masks, living double lives. Tony Stark is a complete outlier.
Yet this very outlier gives the audience a fresh, exciting experience.
This is undoubtedly one of the film's greatest surprises how could anyone not love Tony Stark? Not love Iron Man?
At this scene, Drake thinks of Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Though he wasn't there at the time, his parents have mentioned it countless times when Darth Vader told Luke Skywalker, "I am your father," the cinema erupted. America froze. Tony Stark's announcement gives him the same feeling.
Look around after that declaration, no one can remain calm.
Such a distinctive superhero is exactly who they love most.
The surprises aren't over yet. Even though the credits roll, no one leaves their seats. The studio has long promoted that unlike the leaked online version, this movie has one more surprise at the end.
And it truly is a surprise.
Tony Stark accused Natasha Romanoff of being a spy, completely disregarding his own life. In turn, Natasha Romanoff spoke of how she had once fought side by side with his father, Howard Stark, and with Captain America, Steve Rogers. She urged Tony Stark to go deep beneath the frozen ice to rescue a legendary American hero from World War II.
Nick Fury also mentioned the idea of forming the Avengers.
"The Avengers, huh..." Drake murmured softly.
This was yet another big revelation, further confirming the lines referenced earlier in the film.
However, he knew very well that this was likely a long-term plan. Who would be the lead in the next movie? Could it be Captain America?
Judging from the information revealed in the post-credits scene, only Steve Rogers, Captain America, fit the bill.
"Is the next one really Captain America?"
As the film reached its conclusion, Irene Lauder finally couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked Duke, "Or someone else?"
"A reboot of Hulk and Captain America," Duke replied in a soft voice.
The biggest issue with the first Captain America was that its historical setting felt a bit too distant. But as the commander of the Avengers, it was absolutely necessary to explain his backstory. Fortunately, Steve Rogers represents the orthodox American spirit, and such a character still has considerable appeal.
Though the era when Captain America was popular had long since passed, strictly speaking, he remained one of Marvel's most famous comic characters. Within the Marvel system, he was even the first superhero in history.
Of course, according to the overall plan, Natasha Romanoff would also appear in this film.
Duke had already seen the beginning of the script written by Marvel's screenwriting team. It opened with Black Widow and Iron Man venturing deep into the polar ice to rescue Captain America, who was frozen beneath the ice. The main plot of the film would be told through Natasha Romanoff's memories.
For someone like Steve Rogers, his ideals mattered more than his life. To make him accept S.H.I.E.L.D., there had to be a convincing bridge.
And Natasha Romanoff, who had once fought alongside him during World War II, was undoubtedly the most persuasive candidate.
Then there was the Hulk, another top-tier Marvel comic character, almost comparable to Spider-Man. But his films were not well received. Comics and the big screen were completely different mediums. When a character who cannot control himself and yet possesses overwhelming destructive power is presented to audiences in film form, how many people would actually like him?
But as one of the strongest members of the Avengers, Marvel had no intention of abandoning the Hulk's film adaptations. After all, they couldn't have the Avengers tie in with Ang Lee's artsy Hulk, could they?
The rebooted Hulk would likely struggle to recover its costs at the box office. However, for this type of movie, box office revenue is only part of the income. Even if the entire project loses money, from a long-term perspective, making a Hulk movie is still beneficial and harmless.
As Marvel's largest shareholder, Duke had already brought this up at Marvel Studios' board meetings the actor for the new Hulk must be someone willing to sign a long-term contract.
Edward Norton was indeed a talented actor, but he leaned too much toward arthouse films and had a volatile personality, so he was completely out of consideration.
The big screen returned to calm. In Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre, the lights came on again, and the applause rang out without the slightest hesitation. From the very back row to the front, all the audience members stood up and clapped. Every face was adorned with a joyful smile.
This film left them feeling satisfied, entertained, and thrilled…
For ordinary moviegoers, few of them go to the cinema to contemplate the meaning of life. What they seek is entertainment and fun, and this film fulfilled all their viewing needs and entertainment desires. The spiritual satisfaction translated into bright smiles, great moods, and a willingness to open their wallets for the film and its related merchandise.
At that moment, in countless theaters across North America, audiences were all standing and applauding, paying tribute to the spectacular Iron Man.
Duke and Charles Roven led the entire cast and crew onto the small stage in front of the screen to take a bow. Though the film had ended, the audience seemed reluctant to leave. Even catching one more glimpse of the director and actors could deepen their satisfaction.
....
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