Ever since he was cast in the role way back in 2007, Robert Downey Jr. has completely owned the role of Tony Stark. I honestly have trouble imagining another actor embodying the role. It’s as though Downey was made for the role, and I know I’m not alone when I say I hope the rumors of him leaving behind the crimson and gold helmet aren’t true.
Having now played the role in 4 films, including his brief cameo in The Incredible Hulk, and with his fifth outing coming to UK cinemas tomorrow, we at AP2HYC decided to have a look back at some of Downey’s best moments as Tony Stark.
10. Stark Expo Entrance – Iron Man 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o1wind1iUc
Tony’s drop into the Stark Expo at the opening of Iron Man 2 is, for better or worse, one of the best moments of the film. The fact that he’s wearing a suit underneath the armor just feels so right. Tony is clearly loving not having to hide behind a mask, not to mention milking the attention for all its worth. Unlike the similar celebration scene in Spider-Man 3, here we see a hero who is completely comfortable whether the mask is on or off. It’s easy to forget that Tony is perhaps the only superhero who actually wants the world to know who he is instead of obsessing over his secret identity.
Plus, the whole airplane drop thing is totally badass.
9. The Consultant – The Incredible Hulk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwaqFo4Sjk
I have to admit, this scene plays a lot better in the short “The Consultant” than it does at the end of The Incredible Hulk, but no matter where you watch it, it’s a great scene. Tony is clearly in complete control and happy to play the complete ass for S.H.I.E.L.D. The fact that, as we learn in “The Consultant”, the interaction ends with Tony buying the bar and scheduling it for demolition to get back at General Ross just makes it all the more sweet.
8. Debrief With Fury
(For full clip, follow the link here.)
Okay, yeah, so this scene really does put all of Tony’s flaws right out there on the table (literally, they’re in the file), but it’s how Tony handles the criticism that really makes this a spectacular scene. He’s willing to admit there may be some truth in Natasha’s assessment, but he still manages to never lose his cocky exterior. The “You can’t afford me” quip at the end just shows that Tony is always just going to be Tony.
7. “Shakespeare in the park”
Tony Stark has a zinger for every occasion. Even if that occasion happens to be unexpectedly facing off against the Norse God of Thunder. While there’s no way Tony could have accounted for Thor’s attempt to free his half-brother Loki from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, that’s not gonna stop him from delivering a few hilariously on-the-nose putdowns. Thor’s anachronistic style of dress may be an obvious target, but that doesn’t make Tony’s description off him any less amusing. His follow-up – “Doth thou mother know you weareth her drapes?” – is equally apropos. While provoking a demi-god for lols might not be the smartest idea, Tony would be glad to know that he has an appreciative audience.
6. “Yeah. I can fly.”
I always liked that much of Iron Man focused on how Tony actually constructed the armor, as opposed to just fast-forwarding to some ass-kicking. This scene in particular adds a lot of humour to what might otherwise have been a very dry part of the film. Dummy, the robot, is of course hilarious and I love Tony’s interaction with the little guy. It also shows a bit of Tony’s imperfections; he doesn’t always get everything right the first time around, but clearly he welcomes his own mistakes and learns from them. It makes him a bit more human to see that he doesn’t quite have the hang of using his new tech just yet, but he can still laugh about it.
5. Shawarma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtlAwDvDM1w
Battered and exhausted, having shown himself willing to sacrifice himself to defeat Loki’s Chitauri army, Tony’s wry, irreverent sense of humor remains intact. Manhattan may be mostly rubble, but apparently there’s a decent shawarma place just round the corner from the battlefield. Hey, a near death experience can make a guy hungry.
4. “Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist”
Tony Stark isn’t always the most agreeable human being. As he says at the start of the clip, he does not play well with others, and his ego jars with Steve Rogers’ humility. Captain America even has the gall to ask Tony what, apart from the Iron Man suit, makes him so special. Tony’s response is so perfectly put it even raises a laugh from Thor. Jokes aside, this is an issue Iron Man 3 promises to explore in more detail: does the suit make the man or the man the suit?
3. The Jericho
Tony Stark in the first Iron Man may have been something of a self-righteous, militaristic jerk – getting blown up could have been the best thing that ever happened to him -, but he sure had a sense of showmanship. Champagne and state-of-the-art explosive ordnance. If we at AP2HYC had spare $500 million, we might well be tempted ourselves.
2. “We have a Hulk”
And really, what else do you need? I don’t think any other scene really demonstrates just how flipping crazy Stark really is. Fresh from the battlefield, he confronts the god Loki without his armor, calmly has a drink, makes this amazing, threatening quip, remains completely calm after being thrown from his penthouse window, pulls off a sweet mid-air costume change, and then promptly flies back up to shoot Loki in the face. Calling him a cocky bastard doesn’t do it justice; this guy has a Hulk.
1. “I am Iron Man”
What should have been a simple, card-prompted press conference denying his involvement in the destruction at Stark Industries and the death of executive Obadiah Stane instead turns into Tony Stark “outing” himself to the assembled press as the MCU’s foremost technologically-driven superhero in our favorite moment from the Iron Man series thus far.
Completely unable to resist letting the world know of his awesomeness, this scene sums up Tony perfectly: he may be a hero – hard-working, courageous, capable of self-sacrifice -, but he’s also a bit of a dick. No way you’d catch Bruce Wayne pulling a stunt like this – the sheer audacity – and, though it puts those he loves in danger, we can’t help but love Tony for it.
