Yes, Marvel Studios had ambitious plans and a stable of comic book characters, but in terms of box office heavy-hitters, all it really had was Iron Man. But what’s more fascinating is the fact that The Incredible Hulk only grossed $264.8 million on a $150 million budget. It’s funny now, in the age of billion-dollar box office expectations, thanks in no small part to The Avengers (2012), to look back at the $585.3 million Iron Man grossed on a $140 million budget. Iron Man (2008) not only launched Marvel Studios, but propelled the careers of Favreau, Downey and producer Kevin Feige to new heights.
Although it’s now difficult not to consider the MCU within the context of it being the biggest franchise in the world, a coalition of filmmakers and stars, and a grand story arc stretching from the Infinity Saga to beyond, the state of the cinematic universe was very different at the time of Iron Man 2’s release. With 23 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and nearly a dozen more in development, it’s strange to think about a time when there were only two, Iron Man (2008) and The Incredible Hulk (2008). The result is an overcrowded sequel that feels like an afterparty, a flashy, sequined, champagne-soaked celebration that showcases both the ingenuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its initial growing pains. In the sequel, which opened 10 years ago on May 7, 2010, director Jon Favreau doubles down on all the elements introduced in the opening minutes throughout the rest of the film. That sentiment can be applied to all of Iron Man 2(2010), which takes the theatricality of Stark’s grand entrance to heart with all the zeal of a man chasing his last hurrah. To suggest there’s a lot going on would be something of an understatement.
This opening ceremony for the Stark Expo is an impressive spectacle, featuring celebrity cameos (Olivia Munn, Stan Lee as Larry King, an ode to the past) a video message from Howard Stark (John Slattery) doing his best Walt Disney and the threat of the future: Stark is secretly dying from exposure to his arc reactor. “It’s good to be back!” Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) says after landing his Iron Man suit in the middle of the Stark Expo stage, surrounded by cheerleaders and pyrotechnics.