This time last year, when the heavyweights of Summer 2008 were being announced, few would have considered Iron Man much of a contender against the return of Batman and Indiana Jones. At least I didn’t. I never held much stock in this Marvel creation compared to X-Men and Spiderman and the likes.
But….
Starting with the initially bizarre but incredibly smart move of naming Swinger Jon Favreau as director and following one of the best casting moves ever by naming Robert Downey Jr. as the new Tony Stark, it was starting to look like Marvel’s first solo endeavour was full of the kind of risky, ballsy moves that give lazy studio execs nightmares.
Now, after taking a look at the trailer, it’s clear that their risks are paying off and Iron Man has now shot up my list of Summer hopefuls. Favreau is clearly keeping things light and comedic here, but in a cool way, not like the pantomimic comic-book laughs of the Fantastic Four, Daredevil and countless other Marvel misfires. Robert Downey Jr. comes across as slick and hilarious as ever and if you ask me, that man can do no wrong. Truly one of the greatest and coolest actors around, this role should do for his career what Jack Sparrow did for Mr. Depp.
So, it’s time to officially get excited about Iron Man. The dark horse of Summer 2008. Click below for the latest trailer in standard or HD, courtesy of IGN.
