Robert Downey Jr already has four screen appearances as Iron Man under his big red belt (including his cameo in THE INCREDIBLE HULK), and as THE AVENGERS almost wraps up filming, the actor spoke to the L A Times about IRON MAN 3 and its announced director, Shane Black.
‘He’s more than the sum of his parts and he’s also kind of been a sleeper for a long time. We’re not talking much about the script right now, because Shane is off writing, but we talked before that and when we are talking again the talking is going to be over pretty quick [because we’re on the same page]. It’s kind of like we’re fighting on the same side and at the same time we’re circling each other, so it’s all great. It should be great.’
Although Black has penned many well known scripts including LETHAL WEAPON and LAST ACTION HERO (and a minor role in PREDATOR), the writer has only directed one feature film, KISS KISS BANG BANG, which featured Downey Jr in a lead role. But it seems that an affable working relationship already exists between the two and this could be the thing that makes IRON MAN 3 the film number 2 should have been.
‘Bringing in Shane Black to write and direct IRON MAN 3, to me, is basically the only transition from Favreau to a ‘next thing’ that Favreau and the audience, and Marvel and I could ever actually sign off on.’
The plot of the third film is apparently going to be similar in vein to a Tom Clancy-type thriller, where Iron Man finds himself up against a set of villains who are more true to real life than in previous big screen efforts.
IRON MAN 3 is due to be released on 3rd May 2013.
