On the eve of probably one of the most anticipated days for Iron Man fans, me being one of them, Marvel has released a number of stills (and teaser poster) for the upcoming “technological crisis thriller” including our first look at Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin. Check back with us tomorrow when Marvel/Disney finally unveils the first trailer for Shane Black’s Iron Man 3, coming May 3rd, 2013!

When talking about the original Chinese ethnicity of The Mandarin, Feige says they wanted to blur the background of this version of The Mandarin. “It’s less about his specific ethnicity than the symbolism of various cultures and iconography that he perverts for his own end,” Feige says. From his samurai hair, to his royal robe, to his bin Laden-esque beard, and the AK-47 he keeps at his side, Kingsley’s interpretation is a hodgepodge of various warrior motifs.

Pepper and Tony right before The Mandarin’s helicopters attack Tony’s Malibu home.

The Iron Patriot

Tony Stark’s come a long way since he was held captive in a cave in Afghanistan and built a weaponized suit to survive in the original Iron Man movie. But Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is left to survey the damage caused when the Mandarin attacks Tony in a very personal manner in Iron Man 3. “While he is a charming guy, it is often hard to root for a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist because they seem to have it all,” Feige says. “In this movie, we are again going to see him stripped down more than we’ve ever seen him since he was in that cave, again with his back against the wall and with nothing but his wits to help him survive.”

The connection between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) began in the two previous Iron Man movies and grew even more in The Avengers, and the new film will be filled with trials and tribulations that will bring them closer together, Feige says. “That’s one of the things we love about (Tony). It is not a new girl in every film. Pepper Potts is an incredibly important part of his life and his evolution as a hero. She plays a very big part in this film.”

The Iron Man 3 set in North Carolina was shut down for a few weeks in September due to Robert Downey Jr.’s sprained ankle, according to Feige, but he’s been back in action for nearly a month now. “It’s an example of what Robert’s always said: ‘Leave nothing on the field. He always gives it 100% but I think he’s given 120% on this one.” That’s important particularly in Iron Man 3′s very Tony Stark-centric story line. “Robert is in almost every scene, which, when you have Robert, is not a bad thing,” the producer says. “The goal with Iron Man 3 is to again prove that all of our single heroes are as interesting alone as they are when they’re all together in an Avengers movie.”

Seven Iron Man suits in total have been seen in two Iron Man movies and The Avengers, but the all-new one in Iron Man 3 represents the most advanced version yet – particularly in how Tony Stark suits up. In the first movie, Tony had to stand in a gantry for five to 10 minutes to get fully armored, he had a lightweight “suitcase” suit for the second film, and in The Avengers a big coffin-sized case could fly out after him in midair and encase him in his high-tech armor. “Now we see he’s invented a technology that allows him to basically have the suit arrive to him anywhere at any time, piece by piece,” Feige says. “And it doesn’t always work at first.”

Source: USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, comicbookmovie

Mark Pacis

Self-proclaimed “Human IMDb” and comic book geek. Biggest Iron Man fan you’ll probably ever meet.