When Iron Man 3 arrives in theaters this Friday, the end to a successful trilogy will mark the first Marvel movie of 2013. This movie will also be the first solo appearance by any of The Avengers since they joined ranks in the 2012 film.
As the seventh title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man 3 will follow the events in The Avengers. Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark the Iron Man and Gwenyth Paltrow as Pepper Pots. Don Cheadle reprises his role as James Rhodes (aka, War Machine) and we’re introduced to a new villain, The Mandarin, who will be played by Ben Kingsley.
The Mandarin is a super-villain and the archenemy of Iron Man in the comics. A megalomaniac bent on world domination, he’s portrayed in Iron Man 3 as the leader of a terrorist organization called The Ten Rings. The Ten Rings allude to rings of power that the Mandarin discovered when he was exploring the forbidden Valley of Spirits after his parents’ death.
In addition to The Mandarin, Marvel will debut another character from the Marvel Universe. Iron Patriot will be the new alias that Rhodes, or Rhodey, will be asked to assume once the War Machine armor has been upgraded and painted with American colors. This abandons the story of Iron Patriot’s identity in the comic, which is Norman Osbourne. That’s the same Norman Osbourne with another notable alias within the Marvel Universe, Green Goblin.
Images from the comics of the two new marvel characters to appear in Iron Man 3 are below. Also, check out the trailer above. And when you decide to catch Iron Man 3 in the theaters, whether you choose the standard, 3D, or IMAX 3D version of the movie, make sure you stay through the credits. I hear there’s an incredible cameo.
The Mandarin
Iron Patriot
