Iron Man 3 Ben Kingsley is The Mandarin!

[Webfoot Hero]

But... HYDRA are nazis so that doesn't make any sense. They're the same thing. The only difference is that HYDRA is a superior version of them, that's the ONLY difference. Just as Captain America is an advanced version of an american soldier.

If anything, HYDRA were Nazis, but had broken away once the Red Skull killed off the people who were going to report him back to Hitler.

 

[Dark Raven]

from the description of the comicon footage, he's got a long robe and the rings and some kind of funky rock star hairdoo.

I haven't seen the footage, but from the description I'm thinking it may be like this:

Well I hope so. It sounded like from what others were saying though is that he's bald with a ponytail. Why can't Kingsley wear a wig? Baldness isn't a Mandarin trait. I certainly hope he has a goatee if not fu manchu mustache.

Is he meant to be oriental then, or middle eastern? I'm hoping he's wearing a robe that is generic enough that it could pass for oriental, just to appease the Chinese.

 

[jacobed]

They said he had an American accent

 

[cherokeesam]

They said he had an American accent

Maybe he's a wannabee. An American who likes to think/pretend he's from another "exotic" culture. There's lots of those around....especially in California.

 

[Dark Raven]

They said he had an American accent

That's no good. At least give him some unplaceable foreign accent. Or a British one if anything, so that it adds to his authority.

 

[bubbadoom]

Perhaps his language skills are such that he can drop his natural accent if he feels the situation warrants it.

 

[The Infernal]

That's no good. At least give him some unplaceable foreign accent. Or a British one if anything, so that it adds to his authority.

I think a British accent would be more in keeping with the comic book Mandarin's past since he's supposed to be half British. Though hearing what Shane Black said about Ben Kingsley doing something with his voice, I'm interested to hear what it sounds like myself.

It could also be that it's one of those accents that you can't really place anywhere. I recall Ian McKellen saying his Magneto voice was a pan-European accent more than anything else.

 

[Aztec]

I would love for someone to post his pic from the trailer. I'm very curious to see how he appears in this. I'm glad they finally decided to go with him for a film. He really is the only truly compelling Iron Man villain.

 

[Tony Stark]

I hope we find out that Mandy was pulling the strings from the beginning. We know the threads of the 10 rings through the series, but I think it would be cool if we found out that Mandy was responsible for Howard and Maria's death, to put Stane incharge of Stark Technologies. We find out that Mandy was trying to pay off Anton Vanko to get the designs of the ARC reactor, this is why Howard fired him and had him deported. We find out that Mandy was funding Hammer Technologies to copy the Iron Man armor.

I really hope they bring these kinds of things to the film. I want this to be the most epic Iron Man movie of all.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

I think a British accent would be more in keeping with the comic book Mandarin's past since he's supposed to be half British. Though hearing what Shane Black said about Ben Kingsley doing something with his voice, I'm interested to hear what it sounds like myself.

It could also be that it's one of those accents that you can't really place anywhere. I recall Ian McKellen saying his Magneto voice was a pan-European accent more than anything else.

Like Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men? That's what I'm thinking. Something that makes you wonder if he's Chinese decent, Middle Eastern or English.

 

[Dark Raven]

I hope we find out that Mandy was pulling the strings from the beginning. We know the threads of the 10 rings through the series, but I think it would be cool if we found out that Mandy was responsible for Howard and Maria's death, to put Stane incharge of Stark Technologies. We find out that Mandy was trying to pay off Anton Vanko to get the designs of the ARC reactor, this is why Howard fired him and had him deported. We find out that Mandy was funding Hammer Technologies to copy the Iron Man armor.

I really hope they bring these kinds of things to the film. I want this to be the most epic Iron Man movie of all.

Well even if it weren't originally written that way, Shane Black needs to retcon events from the previous 2 films with some lines in this movie. I'm sure they should be able to do that.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine did that once (although they could also have planned it that way but maybe they didn't as extensively as was portrayed) by showing how nearly every event in the previous 2 or 3 seasons were tied into the Jem Hadar and the Dominion and that perhaps Bashir was some kind of spy all along. Lots of conspiracies were woven. That's what needs to be done here.

 

[Phantom X]

The first time I ever seen the Mandarin character was in an old arcade game called 'Captain America and The Avengers'. I thought he was the best boss character in the game. He wore cool armor, had awesome powers, and put up a good fight.

"SEE MY POWER!!!"

Then when I finally see him in the comics he's this guy with long flowing hair, wearing a night gown. What a let down...

 

[The Infernal]

Cool armour? Looked like a Shredder knock off to me.

 

[spideymouse]

Well I hope so. It sounded like from what others were saying though is that he's bald with a ponytail. Why can't Kingsley wear a wig? Baldness isn't a Mandarin trait. I certainly hope he has a goatee if not fu manchu mustache.

Is he meant to be oriental then, or middle eastern? I'm hoping he's wearing a robe that is generic enough that it could pass for oriental, just to appease the Chinese.

Here's a description from a contributing writer for Comic Book Resources:

"The money shot involves the reveal of the film's villain -- confirmed officially to be Ben Kinsley as The Mandarin. Though some prior moments hinted at his existence (a few glimpses of a samurai sword are interspersed throughout the footage), the end sequence makes it clear who the main antagonist of this movie is. Kingsley's introduction involves a shot from behind as he removes the hood of his cape, revealing a mostly-bald head with a samurai-style circular patch of dark hair in the middle, a long train of hair protruding from it. Slowly revealed from the front, the camera trains along his hand (rings on every finger), pulling out to show The Mandarin, face-on, seated and sporting a full, long, bushy, dark beard. Reading into his stature alone, Kingsley looks to embody the villain with appropriate menace and confidence."

Another article states that that shot showed him cocking a pistol and that his beard was gray.

 

[Tony Stark]

The first time I ever seen the Mandarin character was in an old arcade game called 'Captain America and The Avengers'. I thought he was the best boss character in the game. He wore cool armor, had awesome powers, and put up a good fight.

"SEE MY POWER!!!"

Then when I finally see him in the comics he's this guy with long flowing hair, wearing a night gown. What a let down...

I remember that game. Every freaking bad guy had the same rapid Muah-HA!-HA!-HA!-HA! laugh.

I think you got to choose between Cap, Iron Man, Hawkeye or Vision (the white version).

 

[Baneis8feettall]

 

[Tony Stark]

Ah now comes the troll.

 

[TheVileOne]

Not sure what the idea is with this Mandarin. He appears to be some sort of weird, post-modern mash-up. When we see a shot of his hands with the ten rings, it looks like he is wearing some type of sports' jersey under his ceremonial robes. He's got oriental style robes and in a room with dragon statues. However, when we see the shot of him cocking the pistol from behind it looks like he's wearing sunglasses.

He did have an American accent. Honestly he almost sort of sounded like an evangelical preacher. His last last line sounded like "when you cry out for mercy . . . it will be your last."

 

[Dark Raven]

Mandarin has 10 rings as his weapons and yet he uses a pistol? Isn't that like Iron Man using a sword?

 

[TheVileOne]

Might not be weapons. He never used them in the footage.

Also keep in mind they are halfway done filming and there still is unfinished FX and probably stuff they haven't done yet.

 

[Baneis8feettall]

Ah now comes the troll.

Stop being so sensitive. t: It just a photo of a rocker similar to Mandarin.

 

[cherokeesam]

Here's a description from a contributing writer for Comic Book Resources:Another article states that that shot showed him cocking a pistol and that his beard was gray.

Love how the writer keeps saying "samurai" to describe a character who isn't remotely Japanese. "All them Asians look alike to me....hyuck hyuck hyuck"

 

[spideymouse]

Not sure what the idea is with this Mandarin. He appears to be some sort of weird, post-modern mash-up. When we see a shot of his hands with the ten rings, it looks like he is wearing some type of sports' jersey under his ceremonial robes. He's got oriental style robes and in a room with dragon statues. However, when we see the shot of him cocking the pistol from behind it looks like he's wearing sunglasses.

He did have an American accent. Honestly he almost sort of sounded like an evangelical preacher. His last last line sounded like "when you cry out for mercy . . . it will be your last."

FWIW (nothing), I read that he had an American accent but with slight inflections that sounded like he wasn't necessarily a native speaker. And his last line was "When you cry out for mercy... you will be silenced."

Love how the writer keeps saying "samurai" to describe a character who isn't remotely Japanese. "All them Asians look alike to me....hyuck hyuck hyuck"

Yeah... Does the Mandarin ever use a sword? And if so, is it a samurai sword? I found this pic:

Spoiler

 

[TheVileOne]

FWIW (nothing), I read that he had an American accent but with slight inflections that sounded like he wasn't necessarily a native speaker. And his last line was "When you cry out for mercy... you will be silenced."

Yeah... Does the Mandarin ever use a sword? And if so, is it a samurai sword? I found this pic:

Spoiler

Eh that could be it, some of the lines were kind of muffled where I was sitting.

Yes there were inflections, but it didn't sound like he was un-American. Sounded like he could've had an English upbringing, went to American schools/colleges as a kid, etc.

Don't recall Mandarin ever using a sword like that in the comics. It's almost always the rings.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Maybe he's a wannabee. An American who likes to think/pretend he's from another "exotic" culture. There's lots of those around....especially in California.