Iron Man Bridges is The Mandarin & Favreau is Happy Hogan.

[the reel chris]

I'll post this again since no one seems to have read it previously, but right after Quint asks that, we get:

QUINT: Supporting characters?

JON FAVREAU: Rhodey (James Rhodes), Pepper Potts, Obadiah Stane... those are the core.

It was never in question. It's still true that he could be playing a dual role as Mandy, but I think many of us agree that's pretty inane.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

Jon already stated quite Clearly that Mandarin "IS" the villain.

AICN @ SDCC '06

Jon already stated quite clearly that Mandarin is "A" villain.

I see it as the Mandarin will be the main villain for the first film but in the scope of the trilogy he will be just "a" villain. Perhaps, it is Bridges Stane's character that was "allied" with Stark in the first film but later on in the series or maybe at the end of the first film, it is revealed that Stane has been secretly supplying the Mandarin with weapons. Stane will turn on Stark and he will turn out to be the main villain/puppet master of the entire trilogy. I have forseen it. t:

 

[the reel chris]

I see it as the Mandarin will be the main villain for the first film but in the scope of the trilogy he will be just "a" villain. Perhaps, it is Bridges Stane's character that was "allied" with Stark in the first film but later on in the series or maybe at the end of the first film, it is revealed that Stane has been secretly supplying the Mandarin with weapons. Stane will turn on Stark and he will turn out to be the main villain/puppet master of the entire trilogy. I have forseen it. t:

I bow to your mighty wisdom. It seems pretty obvious that, given Feiges' description, Stane is Stark's mentor... and like cb was saying, perhaps at the climax of the first we'll find exactly what you've said.

What I'm wondering is, why the betrayal? Why does Stane turn on Stark? Is it some mustache-twisting 'Bwa-ha-ha-ha... I've fooled you for so long!' type of thing, for money or power... or my hope is that the split is idealogical in nature. Favs has said the flick is all about 'weapons and war', so I'm expecting to see an anti-war parable with the two on opposite sides... with Stane being the war-'Monger'.

 

[Chris B]

^ I like the idea of Stark's and Stane's falling out being caused by ideological differences.

I still think that both the Mandarin and Obadiah Stane will be the primary villains. As far as 'Iron Man 2' is concerned, I really do think that we are going some sort of adaption of the 'Demon in a Bottle' storyline with the Stane story arc from the comics.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

I bow to your mighty wisdom.

My friend...you bow to no-one.

It seems pretty obvious that, given Feiges' description, Stane is Stark's mentor... and like cb was saying, perhaps at the climax of the first we'll find exactly what you've said.

What I'm wondering is, why the betrayal? Why does Stane turn on Stark? Is it some mustache-twisting 'Bwa-ha-ha-ha... I've fooled you for so long!' type of thing, for money or power... or my hope is that the split is idealogical in nature. Favs has said the flick is all about 'weapons and war', so I'm expecting to see an anti-war parable with the two on opposite sides... with Stane being the war-'Monger'.

Excellent idea, I really like this angle and hope this is touched upon. And your war-'Monger' reference gets a .

 

[Advanced Dark]

AICN @ SDCC '06

Jon already stated quite clearly that Mandarin is "A" villain.

edit: I take that back; he doesn't say much of anything clearly

Actually I was there at the Marvel panel and he see at the very end before getting up: "Mandarin is THE villain."

 

[the reel chris]

Actually I was there at the Marvel panel and he see at the very end before getting up: "Mandarin is THE villain."

That lying bastard.

edit: That was a joke, I admire the hell out of the Favs.

 

[InsaneDwayne]

From beyond the grave, right?

What are you talking about?

 

[KingOfDreams]

Jeff Bridges is white. The Mandarin is Chinese. If he plays the character I will be disappointed, no matter how good an actor he is.

 

[terry78]

Pat Morita is dead.

 

[omegaman10]

Has anyone considered that Bridges might be playing Morley Irwin? He sort of has a different sort of haircut.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Mandarin may be THE villain, but it doesn't mean Stane or Hammer can't be in the movie. They may just be there not as villains, but (in the case of Hammer) a nuisance, and in the case of Stane a friend in this movie.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Don't you think Stane is the most obvious. Hair-CUT. Meaning all gone.

Talking to self..."I guess so."

 

[Katsuro]

http://iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2025&Itemid=99

Well, that puts that crappy theory to rest.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ Are you sure the theory is so crappy and now it seems it is not put to rest yet. He he he.

 

[the reel chris]

It's a very unfortunate theory but certainly more plausible now.

 

[Advanced Dark]

It just seemed so obvious to me because the casting of the Mandarin was completely...not mentioned at all. He was announced as the villain so we'll probably hear about this mystrious Mandarin character after Stark gets back to the US. He'll be the thorn in Starks side all the while Stane is seemingly innocent. Unless it's Toabs character.

 

[Spider - Man]

It just seemed so obvious to me because the casting of the Mandarin was completely...not mentioned at all.

The problem is it is SO obvious a plot device because they just did it in Batman Begins that it is the LAST thing Favs should do with IM. Lord knows there are enough similarities between the two characters already (millionaire playboys with faithful butlers, high tech weapons at their disposal, etc.) without having to copy a major plot element from Batman. I would hope Favs would be more creative than that.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ Again..so obvious to who? The % of the audience going to see this film that knows the details of these characters and origins is like maybe 1/2 of 1%. Favreau will bring this baby to the screen just fine.

 

[Spider - Man]

^ Again..so obvious to who? The % of the audience going to see this film that knows the details of these characters and origins is like maybe 1/2 of 1%. Favreau will bring this baby to the screen just fine.

Um, so obvious to everyone who went to see Batman Begins. I thought my post made it pretty clear. Don't you think that a large percentage of people who went to see BB will go see IM? It has nothing to do with having previous knowledge of a character's origin or history. It has to do with having a half decent memory and thinking "That's the same thing that happened in Batman - 'person hero thinks is his friend, maybe even mentor, happens to have dual identity as hero's enemy'." I DO believe Favs will do fine by this film . That's why I DON'T think he'll use a second-hand plot device that is so obviously a ripoff of the Batman film. And if he DOES, hopefully he has employed some twist to make it more original.

 

[The Infernal]

Um, so obvious to everyone who went to see Batman Begins. I thought my post made it pretty clear. Don't you think that a large percentage of people who went to see BB will go see IM? It has nothing to do with having previous knowledge of a character's origin or history. It has to do with having a half decent memory and thinking "That's the same thing that happened in Batman - 'person hero thinks is his friend, maybe even mentor, happens to have dual identity as hero's enemy'." I DO believe Favs will do fine by this film . That's why I DON'T think he'll use a second-hand plot device that is so obviously a ripoff of the Batman film. And if he DOES, hopefully he has employed some twist to make it more original.

Actually that plotline has been used all over the place. I think every comic book has one of those at some point. Why not use a more recent comparison and claim it's ripped off from there, like Spider-man for example? Harry Osborn, or Norman if you want to go earlier.

 

[Spider - Man]

Actually that plotline has been used all over the place. I think every comic book has one of those at some point. Why not use a more recent comparison and claim it's ripped off from there, like Spider-man for example? Harry Osborn, or Norman if you want to go earlier.

Even more reason it shouldn't be used in Iron Man.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

If Jeff Bridges is both Stane and the Mandarin, maybe Gwyneth is both Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

Ok, I'm a little lost. Why do we think that Bridges may still be the Mandarin?

 

[The Infernal]

Even more reason it shouldn't be used in Iron Man.

But the problem is that you're really hard pressed to find an original story nowadays. Especially when you break it down into simple terms like that. Even though I'm not a big reader of Iron Man, if there is precedence for this in the comics then I'm not bothered as long as they keep to the spirit of Iron Man whether or not it's similar to something else.