Ben Kingsley is The Mandarin!

[The Infernal]

Maybe it's a bit early to discuss the possibility of the Mandarin being the villain this time round. I just think it may be a case of 'now or never'. I think with the Ten Rings in IM1 and the interviews with the actor who played that group's leader has implied that they were intending to do the Mandarin at some point. Couple that with IM3 possibly being RDJ's last Iron Man film I think this is the best time to go with the guy many believe to be Iron Man's nemesis.

I just think it would be a real shame if they miss this opportunity. Even if they made the Mandarin a villain in the Avengers sequel it would likely rob Iron Man of a great story between him and the Mandarin, which in his own film would be able to focus more on them than trying to give as much motivation to all the Avengers.

Also, I'm curious to who people would want to play him in the film. I'm torn between either having the Ten Rings leader become the Mandarin which if done right could make for a powerful story or having him return as a henchmen to the Mandarin (played by someone new).

[Lord]

I don't know about who should portray him but he must be the villain in Iron Man 3, if possible they should use Fing Fan Foom as one of his construction or as a monster with Asgard conections that he uses against Tony, but i really hope they use them together, i think it's the best way to use Fing fan foom and Mandarin must be in 3, he must be.

[Fudgie]

He is a must for next villain.

[Sebastos]

Ken Watanabe for Mandarin, make it happen Black!

[R_Hythlodeus]

Takeshi Kitano as Mandarin. He may be Japanese, but so is Ken Watanabe and nobody seems to mind that.

[The Infernal]

I'm not bothered what nationality the actor is just as long as he can give a good performance in English.

[Fudgie]

Originally Posted by Sebastos

Ken Watanabe for Mandarin, make it happen Black!

Good choice

[DrCosmic]

I think Mandarin works best as a blend of technology and "is it or isn't it magic?" and really explore that line that Thor seems so happy to dance on.

I think it should be a new character, who is the head of the Ten Rings organization, but does not necessarily wear ten rings each with their own super power. They are keys, however, to accessing his power. Fing Fang Foom could be Asgardian, but you don't want IM3 to be Thor 2, so it has to be something from 'his' world. For that, I'd submit Fing Fang Foom or Ultimo be a construct of some sort. Yes, fighting big robots again, but that's Iron Man's world, and it should stay that way.

[The Infernal]

I think what they did in Thor in regards to suggesting the Asgardians are merely advanced aliens rather than Gods may be both an advantage and a disadvantage for IM3 and future Marvel movies. I mean after seeing Thor and then the Avengers you could argue it would be easier to do the alien origin of the rings (or at least hint at it) in IM3 and not step out of the world they've set with the first two films all that much.

Although the problem from my point of view is that both IM3, The Avengers and future MCU movies are in a risk of essentially giving the message that there is no magic in the MCU. Which would in turn meaning anything like Dr Strange if it were made into a film could potentially be omitted from being included with the rest or that any villain that does essentially use magic either can no longer use magic or isn't available at all.

[Vartha]

Originally Posted by The Infernal

I think what they did in Thor in regards to suggesting the Asgardians are merely advanced aliens rather than Gods may be both an advantage and a disadvantage for IM3 and future Marvel movies. I mean after seeing Thor and then the Avengers you could argue it would be easier to do the alien origin of the rings (or at least hint at it) in IM3 and not step out of the world they've set with the first two films all that much.

Although the problem from my point of view is that both IM3, The Avengers and future MCU movies are in a risk of essentially giving the message that there is no magic in the MCU. Which would in turn meaning anything like Dr Strange if it were made into a film could potentially be omitted from being included with the rest or that any villain that does essentially use magic either can no longer use magic or isn't available at all.

Lets not forget there's supposed to be some things in the Asgardian Vault on the DVD/Bluray. We THINK Strange's orb is in the Vault so I wouldn't put it past them to sneak Mandrin's rings somewhere.

[WildcatNC]

Originally Posted by Iron Fist

Ken Watanabe for Mandarin, make it happen Black!

I'm a big fan of Watanabe and this has been my choice for several years now for Mandarin. He could bring to Mandarin what Hiddleston brought to Loki, or even better.

[The Infernal]

Originally Posted by Vartha

Lets not forget there's supposed to be some things in the Asgardian Vault on the DVD/Bluray. We THINK Strange's orb is in the Vault so I wouldn't put it past them to sneak Mandrin's rings somewhere.

You mean we get an extra look into the vault on the DVD? That would be sweet.

I read somewhere that's actually the "Warlock's eye" which looks similar but is from an old Thor comic (though it still sounds pretty magical based to me). It was on a random website in an article with some of the movie's concepts (used and unused) shortly after Thor's release.

My hope for IM3 is that they do Mandarin without fudging it and doing some awkward rewrite to fit in solely with the Iron Man movie world.

I don't want to see a version where they over explain the working of the rings with some psuedo-science that fits more in line with their world or ignore the rings for some other version of the Mandarin. Personally I would like it if the most explanation they got was that the rings were some left over from an advanced race and just treated as a MacGuffin and the real focus being on the character and motivations of the Mandarin. That way he and the rings could keep and element of mysticism about him.

[gmanca]

After I found out that Mandarin's rings were alien in nature, I felt that a film version should rewrite that origin because it's too much work when it's much easier, on a relative basis, to say they are rings forged during an ancient period on Earth.

Embrace the mysticism and lore that comes from having a Far East villain. Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China should be the model, not Abin Sur/Sinestro.

[chamber-music]

As mush as I like Ken Watanabe and Chow Yun Fat I am a little tired of seeing them as villains in hollywood blockbuster so I would like to see them go after someone like Hong Kong film superstar Andy Lau.

He speaks fluent English but has mainly stayed in Chinese movies because he thinks the roles he would get in Hollywood would be the usual stereotypical asian ones but his not against making movies in the west if a good role comes his way and someone like Shane Black would allow him to do something different with Mandarin than the usual Fu Manchu act.

His best known in the west for Infernal Affairs (remade as The Departed), House Of Flying Daggers and Warlords.

[The Overlord]

Is it confirmed that Mandrain will be the next villain? I know Jon Favreau talked about him being the villain in Iron Man 3, but now that Shane Black is the director, is he going in a different direction?

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by gmanca

After I found out that Mandarin's rings were alien in nature, I felt that a film version should rewrite that origin because it's too much work when it's much easier, on a relative basis, to say they are rings forged during an ancient period on Earth.

Embrace the mysticism and lore that comes from having a Far East villain. Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China should be the model, not Abin Sur/Sinestro.

Well since they've already dealt with Asguard and the Nine Realms with Thor and The Avengers, it shouldn't be too difficult to tie the Mandarin's rings to that in some way rather than explaining a new alien origin again. They could even say that these rings (which are Asguardian-related in origin) were discovered during an ancient period on Earth.

[Lord]

Keep the forged in an ancient time of history and use this guy as a metalic creature created during that time too:

That's for me the best way to use fin fang foom

[MichaelChen]

I would prefer they use the "Haunted" storyline. No Fin Fang Foom. Frankly I don't understand why Foom keeps coming up. The Mandarin has dozens of appearances, only one of which involved Foom. These guys don't have some huge history together.

[Excelsior.]

Man, I'd hate to be here if there is no Mandarin.

[TheVileOne]

Yeah I really hope they figure out to work Mandarin in there. It just feels like they completely avoided it in Iron Man 2. I think Favreau needs to own up to that he was scared about using the character and he didn't know how to do it.

Also I think we can see more of Tony's vices like his alcoholism played up more without making it too over the top melodrama. I think it could work by just having Tony hit absolute rock bottom. Show him at his absolute worst and lowest point we could probably ever see the man get. Don't make it funny or comedic and let him get out of it.

If Robert Downey Jr. could do it, so can Tony Stark. And I think that is the reason deep down why Downey wants to do that story. Because it says something deeper not just about Stark but Downey as well.

[The Infernal]

I gotta agree. No Mandarin would feel like we've been robbed. I'm not liking the little snippets of news claiming they're looking at possibly Ghost or other Iron Man villains. I know the references in the first Iron Man movie were obscure and intangible, but it was still a connection and it would be a shame if they went after some C-list villain rather than the main one.

Though I gotta agree with VileOne about Stark. He does need to delve into the personal problems a bit more in the third one. Firstly because it will make for a more interesting story arc for his character if we can show just how vulnerable he can get without resorting to the 'no armour = soft squishy flesh' equation. Secondly Iron Man's problems are similar to what Downey has struggled with in the past and he is more likely to be able to draw upon that experience for a better portrayal of Tony Stark at his worst.

[Chris B]

I think part of the problem is that they're overthinking it too much. I don't the Mandarin is that hard to adapt. They already have a ready template in the the modern comics with him being a businessman whose basically the Chinese equivalent to Tony Stark. Tie the rings into Asgardian tech, which should've be a big deal post-Avengers, and they'd be good to go.

[The Infernal]

Pretty much what I was thinking myself. Though I wouldn't necessarily tie in the rings with Asgard, but still explain it in a similar way we saw in Thor.

If I recall right the rings are alien technology anyway. Keeping the Thor movie logic of science beyond human comprehension basically keeps it in line with both established MCU and the comics.

Although they don't need to delve into the rings history all that much (again they could use a variation on the brief explanation used in Thor for alien science = magic). They could be treated as a means to an end and they concentrate on the character of the Mandarin as the important aspect.

On a side note I can't help but think they're creating a potential headache for establishing magical characters like Dr. Strange in the MCU.

[Eddie Dean]

Robert Downey Jr. for The Mandarin

[LokiDionysos]

K this is kind of long but hear me out.
I think Mandarin will be connected to Asgard in a way, but his powers will come from the Midgard realm...
Mostly because the movies have to alter things a little to have all the movies actually be connected. And, in a way, to setup ideas so they can save time in later movies. Plus it seems like some of the groundwork for magic= advanced science has already been setup in part for Mandarin, and possibly Avengers(we've heard some quotes along the lines of them wanting to introduce the fantasy elements in a way that would jive with Iron Man's science-based world).

I have a strong feeling Marvel's already hard at work setting up the Mandarin with part of the Avengers movie, and planning out Iron Man 3 for 2013 at the same time. Ghost could still feature in it, though. And the "Leviathan" we've heard about in Avengers might be our first introduction to Fin Fang Foom, though we may not know it at the time. However, he may play the part of the Midgaard serpent as well, being summoned by Loki initially(possibly dwelling under Earth's ocean in Midgard).
We expect whatever this Leviathan thing is to be defeated in Avengers. But I think it's revealed it really doesn't die or somehow imparts the rings to someone within Mandarin's organization, or leaves behind the mystic gems for the 10 rings to claim before, or after the Avengers defeat it. That way FFF can end up far in the background in IM3, and the Mandarin can get his powers somehow.

Some of the myths place the word Leviathan as more of a dragon or crocodile creature that merely dwells beneath the ocean until just before the end of the world (Ragnarok coming soon after Avengers?)
wiki:
"In Canaanite myth, Liviathan was the personification of the chaos at the beginning of the Universe: a seven headed, Fire-breathing crocodile-dragon, the power of the primordial ocean given form. He lurked in the depths of the sea..., Leviathan is not dead but merely sleeping, and one day will return to destroy us all."
I think Loki summons it(bringing in an Asgard connection), but that the fight will end quickly with Thor on Iron Man's side, while the other Avengers fight elsewhere. It may return in some form(maybe because of teleporting or shapeshifting abilities) in Iron Man 3, and if it's the midgard serpent as well: it could have a bigger role to play down the line in other movies. Like a Thor Ragnarok storyline.

Point is you guys are correct. All the magic=science stuff in Thor seems like a deliberate plant to make what we could see Mandarin do in Iron Man 3 more accepatable to the GA. Also, they have a real chance to work part of Mandarin's origin into Avengers to then carry over into IM3, and I think they might do just that.

That's just my theory anyway. It makes more sense to me than introducing FFF in IM3, and having him give the rings/powers, then play a large part in the story(this way he would't). FFF could seem to vanish in avengers after its head comes to a rest, then teleport or retreat to where Mandarin is near in the beginning of IM3...he finds it hiding in a cave, bang there you go, he's got magic powers for the whole movie. You've got Avengers-- a movie about science, magic, aliens and a Leviathan...and FFF is a magic(and science based) alien Leviathan.