Ben Kingsley as Iron Man 3 Villain

[Spider-Fan]

I have never heard anything about Black being pressured to make Ghost the main villain. Also, Raimi said openly he hated Venom, yet what did we see in SM3...what the fans wanted! Fans want Mandarin. I think he happens, for better or worse.

[Octoberist]

Originally Posted by I SEE SPIDEY

I honestly can't take Kingsley seriously in genre fare after all the terrible movies.

True but 'Hugo' reminded me that he's legit..when he wants to be.

[zeptron]

Originally Posted by Spider-Fan

I have never heard anything about Black being pressured to make Ghost the main villain. Also, Raimi said openly he hated Venom, yet what did we see in SM3...what the fans wanted! Fans want Mandarin. I think he happens, for better or worse.

And we all know how well the studio pressuring Raimi into using a villain he didn't want turned out.

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by zeptron

And we all know how well the studio pressuring Raimi into using a villain he didn't want turned out.

Immaterial to my point. My point was everyone wrote off Venom given Raimi's comments, yet he happened. I don't think Shane Black stating in the comics he is a racist charaicature holds any bearing on him being in IM3.

[cherokeesam]

Originally Posted by Spider-Fan

I have never heard anything about Black being pressured to make Ghost the main villain. Also, Raimi said openly he hated Venom, yet what did we see in SM3...what the fans wanted! Fans want Mandarin. I think he happens, for better or worse.

Except Raimi didn't give fans Venom....he gave them a half-assed kindasorta In Name Only. Hence the fanrage.

Same thing will happen if Black is pressured to deliver Mandarin, and he is grudgingly forced to write him in, but on his terms. Then it's SM3 all over again.

But in the case of Marvel Studios, I don't think it's a question of what the *fans* want; it's a question of what Feige and Marvel want. If they want Mandarin, IM3 will feature Mandarin. With or without Shane Black at the helm.

[WildcatNC]

Perhaps Kingsley is playing the leader of the Ten Rings who is known around the globe as a shadowy figure who few have actually seen. Maybe the Chinese ring of the Ten Rings often refers to this shadowy figure as The Mandarin.

Keeps him from being a caricature but still pays homage to it.

I'm also in for Ghost as his Lt. and assassin.

[Godzilla2000]

So, any word on what character Sir Ben Kingsley is going to be playing? Mandarin maybe?

P.S. I adore his work in the movie Ghandi. It's one of my favorite movies of all time.

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by cherokeesam

Except Raimi didn't give fans Venom....he gave them a half-assed kindasorta In Name Only. Hence the fanrage.

Same thing will happen if Black is pressured to deliver Mandarin, and he is grudgingly forced to write him in, but on his terms. Then it's SM3 all over again.

But in the case of Marvel Studios, I don't think it's a question of what the *fans* want; it's a question of what Feige and Marvel want. If they want Mandarin, IM3 will feature Mandarin. With or without Shane Black at the helm.

Agreed, and I think Marvel and Feige will push for the Mandarin. That is my belief. As stated before, the quality of SM3's Venom is immaterial to my overall my point. I am not currently arguing a qualitative point, I am showing people how it works, and I think that is how this will go down. Obviously they push their agenda, seeing as a Thor 2 director left over creative differences. But, at same time, Shane Black would be entering this knowing that, so if he is doing the Mandarin, he is accepting responsibility for him, much like Raimi does now for Venom (though in Raimi's case, I still back him given SM1 and SM2's quality, so he earned control over SM3...while Black is a newer director and doesn't have that earned just yet).

[Ironfan72]

As a Iron Man fan, would I like to see Mandarin, sure, but I don't want a version of the character thrust into the movie because of studio or fan pressure, I would like the character done right and made into the threat he is to Iron Man.
Its assumed that this is most likely the last Iron Man film, depends, RDJ has stated he would do more Iron Man films, as he loves the character and if he has a good time on set with Shane Black, its a possiblity, especially if the film does well at the box office, which past history would say it will do well, plus lets me honest, Avengers has a great chance of being a huge blockbuster for the studio, but other than Iron Man and Avengers, the other Marvel films, did not do the same box office numbers Iron Man & Iron Man 2 did and what Avengers looks to do, so Marvel studios will have basically two go to franchises to make money, and if other Marvel films dont do well, Iron Man 4 looks like a real possiblity if so, then Mandarin could be pushed back to that film, especially if Shane Black wants to direct a second film, and RDJ wants to do a 4th.

[Bruce_Begins]

For me,

No Mandarin = No Interest in Iron-man 3.

[Iron_Stark]

Originally Posted by cherokeesam

Except Raimi didn't give fans Venom....he gave them a half-assed kindasorta In Name Only. Hence the fanrage.

Same thing will happen if Black is pressured to deliver Mandarin, and he is grudgingly forced to write him in, but on his terms. Then it's SM3 all over again.

But in the case of Marvel Studios, I don't think it's a question of what the *fans* want; it's a question of what Feige and Marvel want. If they want Mandarin, IM3 will feature Mandarin. With or without Shane Black at the helm.

That's exactly right. Plus I'd also throw in whatever Robert Downey Jr wants aswell.

Like Joss Whedon said in a recent interview, Marvel and Co. showed him what they did and didn't want for the Avengers and he made it happen. I'm sure, no I'm POSITIVE when Black sat down with Marvel they told him this is the villain we want.

Plus this is nothing like the SM3/Venom situation. Shane Black isn't invested in this franchise like Raimi was with the SM movies and Venom wasn't foreshadowed in previous movies like Mandarin was with the Ten Rings, Venom was just halfassed thrown into the movie.

[Son of Coul]

Yeah, Whedon said Marvel told him from the start that they wanted Loki as the villain and no one else (excluding alien minions apparently). And based on early reactions, it seems that's worked out just fine, to say the least. Asking for Mandarin doesn't make it a SM3 situation, which was under different circumstances.

[Bruce_Begins]

Fans want Mandarin.

[The Morningstar]

Whedon said it was similar to a editor-writer relationship in the comics. The editor provides a guideline, certain things that are needed in the story, then the writer has to actually create the story.

[The Morningstar]

Originally Posted by Bruce_Begins

Fans want Mandarin.

I'd like to see Mandarin, but if he's not in it, it's no biggy to me. I trust Shane Black, considering he's is one of the Godfathers of the action genre.

[Incredible Hans]

Originally Posted by Bruce_Begins

For me,

No Mandarin = No Interest in Iron-man 3.

Right.

[metaphysician]

You know, here's a thought: Shane Black has said that he hates the Mandarin, because he's a bad racist caricature. Has he ever said that he wouldn't actually be *using* the Mandarin, though?

I can conceive of a scenario where he casts Kingsley as a semi-new character who basically fills the Mandarin's role in the setting, except without the yellow peril caricature elements: leader and founder of the Ten Rings, genius mastermind, and after a little dose of Extremis, super powered melee fighter with various tricks. The main difference is that instead of being a Chinese stereotype, he'd be a Central Asian stereotype. *zing!*

Well, not really, or at least not necessarily so.

[Brian Braddock]

I dont understand this whole 'No Manadarin - No interest' thing. I mean, you guys are Iron Man fans, arent you?
If the answer is yes then you should be onboard whether the villain is the Mandarin, the Unicorn or the freaking Living Laser.

[Ironfan72]

Originally Posted by Brian Braddock

I dont understand this whole 'No Manadarin - No interest' thing. I mean, you guys are Iron Man fans, arent you?
If the answer is yes then you should be onboard whether the villain is the Mandarin, the Unicorn or the freaking Living Laser.

I am , if they don't use Mandarin I am ok with that, frankly, I would rather see other Iron man villains like Titanium Man, Madam Masque, Spymaster, Ghost, Firebrand, Crimson Dynamo, Unicorn, Melter and yes Mandarin.
If this is the last Iron Man movie, so many of his great villains will go unused, alot of whom would make great movie villains,so yeah, do I want Mandarin, but if they dont use him, I will still see the movie like a dozen times anyway, Iron man is my fav comic hero and thats good enough for me.
As a life long die-hard fan who honestly never thought the character would come to the big screen, let lone he as successful as the franchise has been, seeing Iron Man,Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, Obidiah Stane, Iron Monger, Whiplash & Justin Hammer has been a dream come true.
I am not seeing the Avengers for any other reason than Iron man is in it

[Fudgie]

This thread title made me think it was official!!!

[Retroman]

IMO this is different from fans clamoring for Gambit or Venom in the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises. Had they not established The Mandarin as a force behind the scenes 'pulling the strings' i don't think it would have been a big issue. I mean Raza, Stane and Hammer were (seemingly) all members of this 10 Rings organisation plus Vanko was broken out of jail by a member. So to me it seems that they've been building towards his appearance in an organic way.

Regardless of who he's playing, Kingsley is a quality addition.

[Brian Braddock]

I totally get that, but for someone to say that they're not going to watch the movie if Marvel dont go with Mandarin? I just dont get that thinking.

[Retroman]

^^Me neither. Boycotting a movie because of that is a little over the top imo.

[TheScarecrow]

Why are fans threatening to boycott the film if the director does not use a character he hates, and in such a way as the fans are suggesting where he is stripped of everything that makes him identifiable.

I like the idea of The Ghost.

[cherokeesam]

Originally Posted by TheScarecrow

Why are fans threatening to boycott the film if the director does not use a character he hates, and in such a way as the fans are suggesting where he is stripped of everything that makes him identifiable.

I like the idea of The Ghost.

Bit of an exaggeration to say Black "hates" Mandarin. All he said was that the comic book character was a racist cariacature, and anyone who read the earliest appearances of Mandarin damn well knows that's true.

But with the announcement of shooting and co-production taking place in China this summer after they leave Wilmington, it's highly likely that Mandarin *will* play a role in IM3 after all.