“Everything Seemed Tenuous & Bleak”: Why The MCU CEO Feared Iron Man Was Doomed To Fail

Summary

• Iron Man's success was not guaranteed, and the production team faced doubts and challenges before its release, making its triumph even more impressive.
• Marvel Studios had to be creative and develop a shared cinematic universe focused on the Avengers since they did not own the rights to their most iconic superheroes like Spider-Man and the X-Men.
• Kevin Feige, Marvel president, was initially afraid that Iron Man would fail, but he found inspiration and faith in "The Making of Star Wars" book, which helped him overcome the difficulties and release a successful movie.

Due to the MCU's current ubiquity and cultural eminence, it can be difficult to imagine that, back in the mid-2000s, the thought of an Iron Man movie being made would have been met with confusion and doubt. Marvel Studios, at the time, did not own the rights to Marvel Comics' most iconic superheroes like Spider-Man and the X-Men, so it had to be creative about the kinds of stories it told. Producers developed an idea for a shared cinematic universe focused on the Avengers, whom they had rights to, and began filming a slate of superhero movies, starting with an origin story for Iron Man.
Through compelling, character-driven storytelling, Marvel was able to succeed in not only making Iron Man and the Avengers pop culture staples but also in changing the cultural landscape for superhero movies at large. Prior to the creation of the MCU, the superhero movie genre was very uneven at best. Iron Man demonstrated that a movie about a billionaire who flies around in a metal suit could have captivating performances that make such a fantastical story feel heartfelt and genuine. Iron Man's overwhelming success was not guaranteed, however, and attitudes during the film's production reveal just how risky of a venture making the movie was.


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