Forget Ferris, SAVE IRON MAN!!
Iron Man is in The Fight for His Life in Iron Man 2! Figuratively Speaking!
Iron Man
June 12th, 2008 - So I'm sure you've heard about it already. It's been spreading around the Geekosphere like wildfire. I think it started with IESB reporting that Jon Favreau might not be directing Iron Man 2, because he and Robert Downey Jr. don't want to rush a product just to get it out. Or so they said. Which, y'know, makes sense. But apparently Marvel Studios, the movie production studio that was set up by Marvel to avoid interference by controlling, overbearing, old-time movie studios who might want to muck with Marvel's precious properties, just wants Iron Man 2 out there, and believe it will be a success no matter what.
Apparently it's more important to them to get Iron Man 2 on screens in any way possible, as quickly as possible, with whoever they can get to direct. Because David Maisel, Chairman of Marvel Studios, doesn't want to pay Jon Favreau what he's asking, simple as that. Apparently they are neglecting to recognize that the only reason Iron Man is such a success is because it's a GREAT popcorn/superhero movie, and great movies aren't made by the lowest bidder, they're made by people who care, people with talent, people like Jon Favreau. And obviously, there was an awesome creative team behind it, who were steadfastly focused on being true to the characters, giving fans what they want, and most importantly, making an AWESOME movie that stays with you and that you'll want to watch over and over again. Who led that team? Favreau. There is no doubt it was his smart and steady hand (and natural penchant for comedy) that made the movie what it is. Of course Robert Downey Jr.'s performance helped. But even if you removed Downey, you would have still had a great moviegoing experience with Iron Man because Favreau was at the helm, making the best creative decisions possible from the get-go. If Iron Man was mediocre, it might have made some money--might even have opened at #1--but it then would have quickly faded into obsolescence, lost amid the noise and clamor of one of the Geekiest movie summers of all time.
Marvel thinks Iron Man 2 will be a success no matter who directs it. And to an extent, they have a point. Now that Iron Man has blasted into the public consciousness like never before (thanks to the film's quality), they'll be eager and willing to see a sequel. But what Marvel Studios seem to be forgetting is that while Spider-Man 3 was a success despite the fact that it was, to put it mildly, a creative mess, Spider-Man was a well-beloved and world-renowned character, a household name, well before the movie was even a twinkle in anyone's eye. THAT's why, even though Sam Raimi and Co. screwed the pooch with the second sequel, it still made lots of money. The only reason Iron Man was the success that it is was because people saw the trailers and the clips and heard the good buzz from the press and their friends and got excited and went to see it. Good old fashioned quality movie making having the impact--and reaching the audience--it should. So now you can go up to a gas station attendant in Des Moines and chances are, if you ask him what Iron Man is, he'll know what you're talking about. A year ago, unless you found someone who didn't read comics but did listen to Black Sabbath, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who that Iron Man was a comics character, and not an athletic adjective.
So yeah, maybe people will see Iron Man 2 opening weekend because they'll be curious. But if it's not GOOD, if it doesn't stand up in quality to the original, they're not going to come back. They're going to forget Iron Man. They're not going to want an Iron Man 3. They'll be frustrated and annoyed and wondering what happened to that awesome movie they remember from 2008.
Naturally, Favreau is not the ONLY talented filmmaker out there who is capable of delivering a solid Iron Man sequel. Sure, it's possible to find someone else. But the point is, why screw with a good thing? Why risk it? You know you're going to get a top-notch, perfectly-executed sequel to the movie that is (at the moment) Marvel Studio's calling card. You're going to get the same level of quality from a crew that wants to deliver even more than they did the first time. And chances are what they deliver is going to be just as--if not more--successful than the original, leading to a bona-fide superhero franchise, not just a great first movie, a mediocre second movie, and a bad taste in everyone's mouth thereafter.
So Marvel Studios, think for a second. Realize that the WHOLE REASON you're not affiliated with one of the existing film studios is to avoid exactly these kinds of foolish, bottom-line, money-grabbing, short term decisions that squash the intentions and talent of the filmmakers and prevent movies from being as good as they can possibly be. Are you worried about setting precedent? Did Jon Favreau not agree to get you coffee when you asked him to or something? What is the reasoning behind this? Why wouldn't he be worth the price he's asking? Are you really willing to blindly risk the success of the entire franchise on an unknown quantity just to avoid paying the director--the man mostly responsible for the first movie's remarkable financial and amazing creative success--what he's asking for?
We were on your side for a while there, Marvel Studios. We cheered when Nick Fury showed up at the end of Iron Man (hell, we STAYED for it), we love that you put Tony Stark in the Hulk. We were, more importantly, thrilled to hear that you were letting talented people bring their creative visions to your characters to ensure the best comic book moviegoing experiences possible. We were looking forward to years and years of almost-guaranteed comic book movie thrill rides; satisfying to fans, the general public, critics, AND shareholders. And it's exactly decisions like this that throw all of that--ALL OF THAT--good will you've garnered so far and puts it not only into question, but in mortal jeopardy.
So ask yourself, Marvel Studios--is it worth all that? Or do you just want to give the man what he's asking for and ensure that you have a kick-ass movie franchise on your hands?
Don't let Favreau go, guys. It's a slippery slope you're on, and you'll never ever find your footing again. And you'll CERTAINLY never win the comic fans---the most hard-to-please segment of any entertainment fan community by far--back into your corner again.
Who's with me? Should we let Marvel know? Is a Favreau-less Iron Man 2 something you'd want to see? Sound off, folks. It's now or never...
Discuss This Article