Titanium Man or Crimson Dynamo?

[Spider-ManHero12]

I'd rather see the Mandarin in Iron Man 2.

[Arthas]

Agreed and FFF

[DraXXXen]

I think it would be hard to avoid using any armored villain in the sequals, so the best way to go about it is use the villains in a new way. Specifically have a handful of costumed villains on screen hired by another corporation to take down Stark/Ironman. This way you spend the movie developing the main corporate villains character (Justin Hammer perhaps) but use a fist full of foes like Spymaster, Ghost, Blizzard, Beetle, etc for action scenes. There is no rule saying Iron Man as to fight the actual mastermind behind it all, just his minions would be fine.

[Arthas]

armored villains.....no more...

[calibud]

Ultimo. A non-human-controlled machine. That's scarier for Iron Man. Stane's flaw was his arrogance, a human trait. An unstoppable robot (possibly controlled by The Mandarin...or maybe just a sentient machine) would be ideal if they had to go with another machine type villain.
Instead of being made by The Mandarin, how about if it's Stark Industries' project becoming self-aware? If they go with Stark's alcoholism, that would tie in well to him losing control of his life. Mandarin must be in IM2. Ultimo and Mandarin double threat, but no team-up. Could work. Iron Man's rogues gallery is kind of bizarre.

Edit: I guess it actually wouldn't make sense considering Stark Industries no longer manufactures weapons. A last minute deal made by Stane? He should have a lasting effect on Stark.

[Colossal Spoons]

CD

Hold off on Mandarin till the 3rd movie

[Raiden]

We need another armored villain in IM2, but we should have Mandarin in the background, albeit in a more visible position than in IM1. Mandarin should be revealed fully in IM3, but I think there should always be another villain as Mandarin by himself won't work too well imo.

[Spiderine]

How about the Beetle?

[bweurk]

I want Magneto and Titanium Man, but only if the Crimson Dynamo cames along for the ride!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhVRWYxRt4

[Rich Santoro]

I am with DraXXXen... Depict Tony as tracking his illegally sold weapons to more insurgent groups (linked to Ten Rings... perhaps sister orgs)... While he is at it, he starts to find some freaky new age weapons (some energy weapons, that he tracks to Hammer). Throughout the film, IM has a run in with some techy thugs like Blacklash, Spymaster, Blizzard and Mach 1 (I would bypass the Beetle persona).

He eventually confronts Hammer and finds that he has stepped-in to provide weapons to the world, after Tony declared that Stark Industries is shifting away from weapons tech. There should be some reference to the Ten Rings, and their grand poobah (The Mandarin)... either explicitly, or just the context that these figures exist...

Then Hammer points out, "Look what you have done Tony... you gave the world a glimpse of the possibilities, with your fancy new Ironman get-up. Didn't you think others would try to follow??? That is the way it works... it is an arms race to the end. Now, seeing what you have achieved with your little power suit, I have sunk all of my R&D into new power systems, battle gear, and energy weapons... I have to thank you for giving us all some direction on the matter. What a brave new world lies ahead." (Hammer played by James Woods... I can see him nailing that delivery)...

He then introduces Crimson Dynamo... He points out that his new energy system isn't as effective as the Arc Reactor, but it is still revolutionary... and he has decided to make up for what the power source lacks by getting a real combat trained pilot and hand-to-hand fighting expert to don the armor (Turgenov or Petrovich). "Tony, your just an inventer... We know what you can do in the lab, but you are outclassed going head to head." But Tony's superior tech and resourefulness wins the day...

[Rich Santoro]

Move onto the Avengers... then peel back to the Ten Rings and the Mandarin in IM3 (this gives more build up for the Mandarin, and would be a good next act after the Avengers film takes place).

[Chris Wallace]

I say hold off on any armored villains, at least for now. The first sequel shouldn't feel like a retread of familiar territory.

[Philly Phanboy]

No armored villains. For the sequel I'd use either Mandarin, the Maggia crime syndicate, or introduce HYDRA/AIM (the last two could be used again for other movies/franchises as well).

[Rich Santoro]

AIM could be good... as a prelude to events in the Avengers. I favor the Red Skull as the core villain, with AIM as his private army of scientists and mercenaries (he is another private contractor for military tech, and Blackwater'esque guns-for-hire).

I like the Hammer-tech-thug plot as a subplot to an overall triology arc that culminates to the Mandarin in IM3 (Hammer is the Ten Rings new weapons guy, and Hammer mentions to Tony, "I am going to take you down, overrun your company and compile all your technology into my own databases. Hey, a guy has to do what he can in order to keep up. Scary new things are coming down the pipe. You should see what this guy with the Ten Rings can do. Well, no matter... if he succeeds at his new world order, I am already sitting pretty as his goto guy for weapon systems. You on the other hand, aren't going to have a chair when the music stops.")

That builds up the Mandarin, but gives us a reasonable outlet to shine the spotlight on more new age tech, without seeming like a rehash. Not to mention, I think Obadiah's comment to Tony (when he paralyzed him) about, imagine a whole new age of weapons with this at the center of it all (looking at the Arc reactor)... was a hook for more tech in the sequel.

[Brian Braddock]

I'd genuinely love to see a Marvel studios M.O.D.O.K. at some point.

[Rich Santoro]

I have to say... I am very cold to that idea... it could be pretty sweet, but I am not excited about the prospect.

[Brian Braddock]

It's what it represents - I'm sick of Marvel properties being watered down. That's why it's so exciting that Marvel Studios are making these films.

I just remember the 'geekasm' that I had with the inclusion of the 'Sonic Cannons' in TIH. To me, that was 'old school Marvel'. Dare I say it, we might not have seen such a 'geeky' concept from another studio.

M.O.D.O.K.'s the same deal to me; geeky but unashamedly fun.

[Chris Wallace]

Originally Posted by bweurk

I want Magneto and Titanium Man, but only if the Crimson Dynamo cames along for the ride!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhVRWYxRt4

Magneto ain't gonna happen, & shouldn't. What can Iron Man possibly do against a guy who can manipulate metal? Is he gonna go get an all-plastic suit & pray Erik can't find any metal to cream him with?
It'd be like putting Superman up against somebody who was made of kryptonite.

[Rich Santoro]

I am with you on the things like the sonic cannons... We want to push the envelope of depicting what makes the sci-fi/fantasy world of comic books so great.

But (for now at least) I really think that there is a line that we should approach with some trepidation (a line which I believe is gradually sliding away). As more films get made, and more suspension of disbelief becomes acceptable by the general movie-going audience... then we can delve deeper into the Marvel mythology.

But then again, you only said:

...at some point

so I am just grinding on for no good reason I suppose.

[Brian Braddock]

Hey, no worries - it's what we're here for.

If we all didnt grind on for no good reason; nothing would get said.

[Rich Santoro]

^ Amen to that...

[MichaelChen]

The Mandarin! I want to see Kung Fu Hustle's The Beast fight Iron Man, and The Mandarin is damned close.

[bweurk]

Originally Posted by Chris Wallace

Magneto ain't gonna happen, & shouldn't. What can Iron Man possibly do against a guy who can manipulate metal? Is he gonna go get an all-plastic suit & pray Erik can't find any metal to cream him with?
It'd be like putting Superman up against somebody who was made of kryptonite.

I wasn't serious you know... it's just that the title of the thread remind me of this song from Paul MacCartney and the Wings.... and I LOVE this song!!!

[Rich Santoro]

The Mandarin! I want to see Kung Fu Hustle's The Beast fight Iron Man, and The Mandarin is damned close.

This is the man for the Mandarin

[MichaelChen]

That would be a horrible choice. Waaaayyy too nerdy and girly for a character who is basically Genghis Khan 2.0 and jumps around martial arting the crap out of Iron Man. The role demands an actor with some machismo. Sonny Chiba, perhaps.