Andy Lau joins Iron Man 3

[Supermanreturns]

From Twitch: http://twitchfilm.com/news/2012/04/w...iron-man-3.php

It is being reported here in Hong Kong that Chinese superstar Andy Lau is in final negotiations to take a role in Shane Black's upcoming superhero sequel Iron Man 3. Popular tech & style blog NeonPunch.com is reporting that they have a very reliable source within Disney who is telling them that the film's Chinese backers, Walt Disney China and DMG Entertainment, are keen to get a big Chinese name attched to the project, and apparently the man they want is Andy Lau.

Now, before everyone screams "The Mandarin", it is extremely unlikely that the film's producers would get behind a plot whose central villain was a Chinese character, especially one as flagrantly racist as The Mandarin. Word is that Lau (or whoever finally lands the role) would play a good guy - a Chinese scientist who comes to the aid of his old buddy Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) by providing him with some new tech that will help him battle Ben Kingsley's villain, but more importantly Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and his Extremis biotechnology.

Right now it is apparently just a matter of working out the schedules and agreeing on an amount of cash, but there is no denying that the addition of someone like Andy Lau in a sizeable role would be a huge boost for the film's commercial chances in China and across Asia. It has already been announced that Iron Man 3 will be shooting on location in China (including Hong Kong and Shanghai) later this summer, working towards a 3 May 2013 release date. Hopefully we will be hearing an official announcement very soon.

[cherokeesam]

Awesome.

Shaping up to be a stellar cast --- best one of the IM series.

At this point, I'm placing all my bets on Kingsley being a mid-Eastern/Central Asian Mandarin, who stands in for comic-book Mallen as the victim/volunteer for Extremis.

Wonder if Lau's character will be invented for the story, or if he'll draw from comic-book canon somewhere. Would be cool if he's named Jimmy Woo.

[Saitou Hajime]

WOW. Big fan of his work, and I think it's awesome that he got to make his splash into mainstream with something as big as Iron Man.

[R_Hythlodeus]

nice. the cast gets better every day.

[Chewy]

Sal Kennedy would round out the Extremis cast

RDJ as Iron Man
Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Cheadle as War Machine
Andy Lau as Sal Kennedy (?)
Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian
Jessica Chastain as Maya Hansen (?)
Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin (?)

[chamber-music]

Damn I would rather see Lau as Mandarin

His been my pick for that role for years!

I know his against playing Asian sterotypical roles which is why he never bothered with Hollywood but I'm sure he could comeof with something differnt and intresting for the role.

[cherokeesam]

Originally Posted by Chewy

Sal Kennedy would round out the Extremis cast

RDJ as Iron Man
Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Cheadle as War Machine
Andy Lau as Sal Kennedy (?)
Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian
Jessica Chastain as Maya Hansen (?)
Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin (?)

I take it you don't believe Mallen will be in this either, then.
Yeah, I wondered about Kingsley as Sal, but seems like Kingsley or Lau would be a big stretch as him, either way. (Jeff Bridges in full Lebowski would be the only way to go, but that's another story.)

I'm thinking Sal isn't in this, either, but yeah, whoever Lau winds up playing may serve the same mentor role to Tony and Maya.

[TheVileOne]

I really hope a half-Indian/Englishman isn't playing The Mandarin.

[Hunter Rider]

Interesting that he's playing a friend of Tony's.

[louiebling$]

Love Lau....Happy to see him Debut in a Marvel Film

[Chris B]

Granted, I know that article says otherwise, but it really is hard not to think that he is the Mandarin.

[Gold Samurai]

http://www.superherohype.com/news/ar...ing-iron-man-3

The site says the friend "represents China’s technology sector – and will use China’s armored heroes to HELP Iron Man defeat “The Mandarin” who is seen as a terrorist against both the US and China."

Invincible Iron Man #513 featured the Chinese Avengers The Dynasty.

Summary: Iron Man attacks the Dreadnoughts that were attacking the Three Gorges Dam in China, hoping to prevent the Dreadnoughts from destroying the dam and flooding the surrounding countryside. IM is soon joined by the Dynasty, which is the Chinese equivalent of the Avengers

[Hunter Rider]

I can't imagine they'll look anything like that in the movie.

[TheVileOne]

I can't help but wonder if a Batman Begins style bait and switch is in play here.

[The Infernal]

Originally Posted by TheVileOne

I can't help but wonder if a Batman Begins style bait and switch is in play here.

I really hope not. That sounds more than a little tacky. People will immediately think of Batman Begins if they do it like that. If Lau is Mandarin and it is a reveal then don't have a puppet pretending to be the actual Mandarin, it won't work for a lot of people.

Also Marvel names the Chiniese Avengers 'The Dynasty'? Does that sound as bad to anyone else as it does to me or is there a logical reason shown in the comic why they have such a silly name?

[Mr. Wooden Alligator]

If the Mandarin is flagrantly racist, why does he still appear in the comics?

[cherokeesam]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wooden Alligator

If the Mandarin is flagrantly racist, why does he still appear in the comics?

Because comic books are racist, man.

J/K.

Over the decades, a bunch of different writers have tried with varying degrees of success to modernize the character and shed the Fu Manchu stereotype. Honestly, most of the more recent portrayals of him have been pretty acceptable, imho. But I certainly understand Marvel & Disney's need to be very delicate with the matter and not alienate a billion potential new customers.

[The Guard]

I can't help but wonder if a Batman Begins style bait and switch is in play here.

Well, much like BEGINS, we'll know if we see the first picture of his character and he has a beard. Or if VARIETY screws up and announces it.

What's racist about The Mandarin, exactly?

[TheVileOne]

Racist caricature I guess inspired by the whole "yellow peril" thing. Character was conceived before we had all these major manufacturing and trade ties with China plus we had the Korean and Vietnam wars. I guess you make an argument his name itself is a stereotype.

Not sure though how an honest take on the Mandarin could alienate China any more than say I mean . . . look at all their freaking supernatural kung fu movies!

So let me get this straight, nothing at all wrong with Tom Cruise a white dude being the last Samurai is OK, but reinventing a classic Marvel character for the screen who is Chinese is unacceptable?

Thing is, I mean for whatever reason comic writers have continued to use him over the years. So are we going to say Kurt Busiek is a racist? Sean Chen is a racist? Matt Fraction is a racist?

[The Guard]

I don't neccessarily think that makes him racist. Culturally insensitive, maybe, but even that's a stretch. Racist implies that negative qualities are attributed to that race. I don't see that from The Mandarin.

[cherokeesam]

Originally Posted by TheVileOne

Racist caricature I guess inspired by the whole "yellow peril" thing. Character was conceived before we had all these major manufacturing and trade ties with China plus we had the Korean and Vietnam wars. I guess you make an argument his name itself is a stereotype.

Not sure though how an honest take on the Mandarin could alienate China any more than say I mean . . . look at all their freaking supernatural kung fu movies!

So let me get this straight, nothing at all wrong with Tom Cruise a white dude being the last Samurai is OK, but reinventing a classic Marvel character for the screen who is Chinese is unacceptable?

Thing is, I mean for whatever reason comic writers have continued to use him over the years. So are we going to say Kurt Busiek is a racist? Sean Chen is a racist? Matt Fraction is a racist?

It all depends on which year/writer you look at. Silver Age Mandarin was definitely a Fu Manchu throwback, embarrassing on all levels (including one of the most godawful costumes ever dreamed up in Marvel); more modern takes, from the late 80s on, are definitely more "realistic" and "culturally sensitive," and I don't think there'd be as much of a foofaraw about that kind of depiction.

In any event, I think adding Andy Lau as a Chinese hero who helps Iron Man defeat (again, presumably) Mandarin will probably be enough of a karmic and cultural balance to satisfy the politically correct.

[TheVileOne]

What if Andy Lau turned out to be the Mandarin though?

[R_Hythlodeus]

Originally Posted by TheVileOne

What if Andy Lau turned out to be the Mandarin though?

I don't think China will be okay with that.

[The Infernal]

Originally Posted by R_Hythlodeus

I don't think China will be okay with that.

I don't know, I think some may be reading too much into it. If the Mandarin's character in the film isn't racist and is well written then there probably won't be a problem if it turns out that's who Lau is playing.

[Carnage27]

China is a huge market, and won't hesitate to ban the film if China is portrayed in a bad light via The Mandarin. I doubt he'll be appearing in anything close to what he is in the comics.