“Big man in a suit. Take that off, what are you?”, Captain America famously quips at Tony Stark in ‘The Avengers’. A throwaway line to some, but one that holds more significance than many originally imagined. Just what is Tony Stark without his suits? Is he really Iron Man, or is it that suit that makes him Iron Man? That line was just a hint of what we could expect from ‘Iron Man 3‘, Marvel Studio’s first film of their new Phase 2, and the first film following the mega blockbuster, ‘The Avengers’. Director Shane Black, who’s credits include writing the first two ‘Lethal Weapon’ films, as well as directing Robert Downey, Jr. in one of his comeback films, ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’, decided to explore that very question, while sending Tony Stark through an emotional wringer that will change who he is, and how he sees himself, forever.

Following the events of ‘The Avengers’, Tony Stark finds his life is in dismay. He’s not sleeping, and he’s now realized he’s not the center of the universe, and in fact, he’s nothing compared to a man who turns into a monster, a Super Soldier, or a DemiGod. He’s confined himself to working on his suits, trying to make himself feel important and needed. But when an attack by the villainous leader, the Mandarin, hits too close to home, Stark finds himself on a revenge mission against the man who is causing fear across America.