It's difficult to believe today, but filming a superhero movie wasn't always a safe bet. Even if it had the potential to succeed, the production costs were likely to outweigh the box office profits. This is why it took Marvel several years to produce Iron Man until it was ultimately released in 2008. It was the first film to be fully funded by Marvel itself. It ended up making the company a fortune and even launching the largest cinematic universe ever built. ¹⁾

Stan based the character on Howard Hughes, a millionaire philanthropist from the twentieth century. This individual was characterized by Lee as “one of the most colorful men of our time.” He was an innovator, an explorer, a multibillionaire, a ladies' man, and, in the end, a nutcase.“ That sounds like a superhero to us! ²⁾

Robert Downey Jr. was a recognized actor before he became the humorous superhero we've admired for over a decade, but a problematic casting choice owing to his famed fight with addiction. As a result, Marvel was hesitant to bring him on board, but Kevin Feige and Jon Favreau worked hard to persuade the studios that he was the ideal option. ³⁾

The genesis story of the superhero Iron Man is told in the first Iron Man film, which takes place in Afghanistan. This is the point at which Tony transforms into Iron Man and constructs the suit. However, in the comics, Stark constructed the suit in Vietnam, before the battle was renamed the Gulf War a few years later. Afghanistan made more sense for a 2008 release since contemporary audiences, particularly young ones, would be more familiar with that conflict. ⁴⁾

You might be shocked to learn that it is actually an abbreviation for 'Just a Rather Very Intelligent System'. ⁵⁾

It has several dimensions, with different versions of the same character doing different things in different times. And in one such universe, Tony is a woman named Natasha Stark… She finally falls head over heels in love with Captain America. ⁶⁾

We've all heard that Area 51 is a top-secret facility used by the United States government as a headquarters for alien problems. However, in the Marvel comics, it is totally Tony Stark's! The only time it has ever mattered was when Tony needed to conceal one of the infinity stones. ⁷⁾

Tony Stark is obviously a great human being, but did you know he graduated from MIT at the age of seventeen? That is, he enrolled in the top institution to study chemical engineering when he was just fifteen years old. ⁸⁾

Stan Lee asked an illustrator why Iron Man's helmet lacked a nose, and the illustrator obliged. Stan quickly realized he'd made a mistake and, thankfully, agreed to retract it. ⁹⁾

The actor from Mission: Impossible was the initial choice for the part, however he later dropped out due to artistic issues. ¹⁰⁾

In the comics, Tony Stark decides to join forces with none other than the Guardians of the Galaxy at some time during his Avengers tenure. Why? Because he is just enthralled by extraterrestrial technologies and distant space. ¹¹⁾

Despite the fact that we mostly see Tony Stark in his characteristic red and gold suit in the movies, the inventor has roughly 50 distinct outfits for different circumstances, including an underwater suit. ¹²⁾

Iron Man picked a suitable heir. Riri Williams, a 15-year-old MIT graduate who had designed her own Iron Man outfit while in college, appeared. Riri, on the other hand, chose Ironheart over Iron Girl. ¹³⁾

The Iron Man outfit used to have retractable roller skates, which is something that should never be forgotten in the comics. ¹⁴⁾

In the comics, Tony Stark requested that Captain America teach him how to fight so that he could protect himself without his costume. But we can't help but notice the grim irony of that Civil War combat scenario. ¹⁵⁾