Jon Favreau is talking about his upcoming Iron Man movie, and he’s ruled one thing right out – don’t go into theaters looking for the first drunken superhero.
"The alcoholism doesn’t come into play until later on in the story of Iron Man," he told MTV (Hey Jon, who’s checking your MySpace messages? CHUD.com requested an interview weeks ago!). "[The comic] started off in the ’60s, where it was about him as a successful manufacturer who developed this suit. Then, later, it spins off into that story about him fighting against himself. I think we’re going to lay the groundwork for it, but the first one’s going to explore him taking on this alter ego of Iron Man, and developing the suit, and what happens politically within the Stark Corporation."
The movie is going to be a pretty straight ahead origin story it seems, with Stark beginning in his old grey suit and evolving to a more modern red and yellow armor. I have to admit to being a little disappointed – too many superhero movies follow the standard origin story in the first film; why not buck the trend and begin with the character established? The origins – especially Iron Man’s – are rarely all that interesting anyway.
Favreau hopes to begin shooting in January with a 2008 release date. He’s also crafting the film to jumpstart a franchise (as noted in that first quote), and is looking to cast a lesser known actor to star, presumably to keep costs down. And because his face will be hidden half the film anyway.