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 The Iron Monger SuitAnother character created by the combined efforts of Stan Winston Studios, John Nelson and ILM was Iron Man's nemesis in the film, Iron Monger.
“The history of Marvel includes not only tremendous heroes but great villains,” says executive producer Billingsley. “In Marvel films the villains are virtuous, so behind every great villain is potentially something you could agree with or understand, but the means by which they go about it are evil and have to be stopped.”
“Creating a great villain requires two things,” says producer Avi Arad. “One, there has to be some connection between the villain and hero. Secondly, a great villain has to be ruthless and stop at nothing to win the battle. There have been great villains throughout the years in the Iron Man comic and we picked Iron Monger because he has a connection to Tony and is as ruthless as they come.”
Stan Winston Studios built the massive practical suit, which included a clamshell center hatch. “The Iron Monger suit is 10 feet tall and weighs approximately 800 pounds,” says Shane Mahan. “We developed and built it during the course of filming and used it to help bridge the character into the digital world of ILM and John Nelson. A gimbal was also built, which allowed us to push it and mimic the actions of the big torso walking.”
Mahan continues: “It takes up to five operators to operate the Iron Monger when you're using both arms. We have had a couple of instances where we've been able to put both arms on and do manual puppeteering to accomplish shots as well. The Iron Monger wasn't built as a hydraulic character, so it's basically human muscle, a gimbal and our stuntmen making it work.”
“I love how the Iron Monger suit echoed the Mark I suit,” says Favreau. “It felt like a machine and a living character at the same time. To see it built in real life was very helpful. I felt the scale of the thing as I stood before it. It was a very successful design and served as a terrific jumping-off point for the animators at ILM.”
For actress Paltrow, the physically menacing Iron Monger suit was quite impressive. “I couldn't believe how big Iron Monger was when I was standing next to it,” laughs Paltrow. “I just think the whole effects thing is amazing - it's like an art and a science at the same time.”
With two full units working simultaneously to create the story of “Iron Man,” director Favreau reflects on the challenges he faced in bringing a new comic book franchise to the silver screen. “The biggest challenge was keeping everything in order in my own mind,” says Favreau. “This is the type of movie where you have a first unit with actors, as well as a second unit, an effects unit, a splinter unit and an aerial unit, all of whom are doing their own things. I got to be the conductor of this great orchestra. In directing this type of film it's really about keeping everybody marching in the same direction at the same time to present a unified vision.”
For Downey, Favreau's unflappable presence in the face of adversity was truly impressive. “Jon brought everything to this film and is the primal force behind `Iron Man,'” according to Downey. “He's easily half the character of Iron Man and he really infused himself into every department. I don't want to say he's a gentle giant because he's very formidable, but he is the most composed person in a position of unimaginable stress that I've ever seen. He's so gracious, and so evolved.”
Paltrow concurs. “Jon is truly an actor's director and he's brought a real sense of truth and humanity to the story. All my scenes are between people and Jon is a real fan of the actor, so he's always very encouraging and has an amazing temperament on the set. He takes all of the stuff that is thrown at him in stride and I have a lot of respect for him as a director and, more importantly, as a human being.”
For Billingsley, Favreau's strength as a director lies in creating an environment on-set that is truly collaborative. “The crew and technicians we have on this film are people who have so much experience and have brought many award-winning films to the screen.The mistake that can be made sometimes is constricting your crew, and not allowing them the freedom to inject their own creativity into the process. Jon is always open to an idea from the group he has assembled, and generally it's our policy that the best idea wins. In addition, he's also a very talented actor so he really understands and knows how to manage actors. When a scene's going great, Jon equates it to when a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter - you don't talk or mess with them. You just let the actor continue to discover and, if anything, guide them slightly. Ultimately, Jon is the barometer of the movie that allows these people to really do what they do best.”
When production came to a close, the talented cast reflected on their experiences in making the action adventure. “I had a great time making this film and I think audiences will really enjoy this film,” says Jeff Bridges. “It has exciting action, thought-provoking themes and will have people talking after the film about some interesting philosophic questions.”
“I think this film is incredibly entertaining and it's definitely going to thrill audiences with all of its action and excitement,” adds Paltrow. “The added value is that the scenes were really well-written and there's a lot of stuff going on - I mean, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is just so exciting to me, I would go see it.”
“I'm hopelessly in love with this film and so proud of everybody who was part of this experience,” says Downey. “The film has it all - a great story, great cast and probably one of the best crews I've ever worked with."
Principal photography on “Iron Man” concluded at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the filmmakers, cast and crew, the experience left them feeling like they had all shared in a magnificent creative journey. “We assembled the finest crew, many who have worked on Marvel films in the past,” says producer Feige. “We've also assembled the most talented cast, and when you see that Marvel logo go up, you know you're in for a fun roller coaster ride. 'Iron Man' is an action adventure, a summer thrill-ride in which audiences will get to see the birth of a superhero and Marvel's newest franchise character.”
“I truly feel that this was one of those rare opportunities where the combination of what everyone brought to the mix elevated the film so much that it exceeded my greatest expectations,” concludes Favreau. “It's a real balancing act of infusing the film with a fresh vision while still staying true to the genre. I feel we made a solid film, one that will appeal to a broad audience as well as the comic book readers who grew up with the character.”
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