On the Iron Man 2 Set - Superhero Hype!

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On the Iron Man 2 Set

Source:Ryan Rotten

July 29, 2009

PROJECT: PEGASUS. The two words are stenciled in black along the side of a few crates stacked at the parking structure this writer descends on the Raleigh Studios lot in Manhattan Beach. It's an overcast June afternoon and massive clouds belch an occasional thunder crack (producer Kevin Feige will joke later in the day that it's the sound of Kenneth Branagh prepping Thor). I'm just a stone's throw away from the offices of Marvel and these crates have me tripping nostalgic. "PEGASUS," you see, stands for "Potential Energy Group/Alternate Sources/United States" - a center for scientific study that appeared in various Marvel titles. It also appeared in Iron Man: Armored Adventures which is why it doesn't surprise me that these crates also read "Stark Industries."

Yes, ComingSoon.net/Superhero Hype! is back on the set of yet another Tony Stark romp, Iron Man 2 which has been shooting in and around Los Angeles. Today, the production is spread out across Raleigh where director Jon Favreau is reunited with Robert Downey, Jr., reprising his role as Stark. (Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson round out the principal cast.) The pair is found inside a soundstage where Stark's workshop has been recreated...with a few notable changes since I was on the set of the first picture.

The hall of armor has expanded. Here one finds the Mark 1 displayed next to an empty slot reserved for the Mark 2 - its whereabouts right now are unknown. The Mark 3 stands battered and tarnished, reminders of Stark's battle with the Iron Monger. Then there's the new suit - similar to the Mark 3, however, look closely and you'll notice slight changes to the joints, knees and abdomen area. It's more streamlined.

"From my perspective we did everything we could to make it lighter, easier, more flexible," says Favreau, "and we've shot more with it."

The director is preparing a scene with Downey who is hunkered over a giant model sitting on a table in his workshop. This is the Stark Expo, I'm told. "It is something that Howard Stark [Tony's father] has done for years and years and the last one he had done was in 1974," explains producer Feige. "Tony Stark is part of his new, 'I'm not making weapons anymore, I've declared to the world that I'm Iron Man. I've got to do something.' He has reestablished this Stark Expo event which is kind of a combination of World's Fair, Macworld kind of an event."

Favreau adds, "This is pretty deep into the film. Tony Stark is trying to – without getting too specific with what it is, there's a mystery that Tony is pursuing as it relates to upgrading the technology that he's dealing with. So, he's trying to figure out solutions to problems that he's having with his tech."

After a brief prep session, the gang is ready to shoot and I'm allowed to watch the scene play out.

The camera pushes over the Stark Expo model; little white buildings, trees and a globe drift by as Stark peers over it like a kid transfixed on his train set. "The key to the future is where?" Stark questions. A "cut!" is called and once Favreau is satisfied a new set-up is requested. And I'm invited into the workshop to play "spot the changes" since the first film.

In a lounge area to my right - carpeted with a couch, coffee table, the usual accoutrements used to relax - maps of Antarctica and a blueprint of Captain America's shield. Stark's collection of cars has grown and he's got a few new gadgets lying around. And if you loved his robot assistants, they're back, too. What's widely apparent is the floor. Glistening, black and constantly being polished by an on-set production assistant. In the film, this entire floor - which I'm required to wear non-scuff booties if I'm going to walk on it - will serve a holographic projection system. Similar to what you saw Stark playing with on a table in the first film, except bigger and better.

"You could see there's not a lot of screens around, everything is done virtually," says Favreau. "So [Stark's] investigating the grounds of the fictitious 1974 Stark Expo and he's taking a model of the expo, trying to find something hidden within the layout and structure of the model that was his father's model from back at Stark Industries. So, that's what we're doing now and we're getting some close focus shots on the model that's based on the '64 World's Fair in Flushing Meadow Park."

Further demonstration of what Favreau is talking about occurs in the next shot. Downey simulates picking up a hologram of the physical model and expands it - all of the hologram work will be filled in later with CG. As Downey surveys the "model" he asks Jarvis, the computer/lab assistant to mark certain areas of the Expo in various colors, executed with FX lights on the floor and out of the shot to illuminate the actor's face. Downey feigns spotting something of interest and asks Jarvis once again to expand the graphic. Apparently he has found what he's looking for - a small piece of the large puzzle that is Iron Man 2's plot.

Favreau notes to us that this story picks up six months later and while he's remaining mum on the plot - which is said to have themes of an energy crisis of sorts - Howard Stark (actor John Slattery) plays a large part in it. "He's definitely a presence as Robert delves into his past and explores the relationship with his dad," says the director. "He's definitely got daddy issues on some level. So, we explore the way his life's been changed by saying that he's Iron Man. He's already gone from somebody who's been one of the most famous people in the world and one of the richest people in the world to now being a superhero on top of it and how his infrastructure attempts to manage that, it's like when a billionaire becomes a reality TV star on top of it, it's a wonder how that integrates with their life. This is a more extreme version of that."

"Part of his journey is realizing the breakthroughs that his father made in the past and coming to terms both emotionally with his dad and also with what technical innovations his father was doing ahead of his time," he continues. "His father was like a Da Vinci who was inventing things that couldn't be made yet. He was a futurist of his time. As Tony starts to learn more about his dad, he starts to learn more about the work that his father had done."

Further complications arise for Tony with stress on two faults: Justin Hammer, as played by Rockwell and Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko (aka Whiplash). "[Ivan is], son of Anton Vanko, Russian scientist in our world and he's our shadow figure, he's our dark character," elaborates Favreau. "We also have Justin Hammer who's American that's played by Sam Rockwell. And so, we have a bit of a mélange of characters that come together that are different combinations of elements from the books. But, we also like to spin it against expectations sometimes against what the books are. We definitely take into consideration what the comics had and then know that our core audience is going to be aware of what was written and we either play into it or against it, but we take those pre-suppositions into consideration as we craft the story. But, I'm extremely happy with the group we have, we just have tremendous actors that bring a spontaneous nature to the film and Downey really grounded the first one with his style, tone, and personality and spontaneity and tried to get a cast around him that would be in synch with his way of working and the tone that he branded in the first film."

Those seeking the "Demon in the Bottle" story arc should know now it's still not the crux of the sequel's story. Feige maintains, however, Stark will be facing immense pressure. "I'm not sure he drinks anymore in this one than he did in the first one. But, he does go to a slightly, how do I put it? About midway through the film he hits rock bottom. Rock bottom is not in an alleyway with alcohol alongside a dumpster," he laughs. "That's not what it is in this movie. But, it is all of these things he's trying to do and pressuring himself to do, he loses control of. It's one of the major themes of the movie is, no man is an island. Here's a guy who now says, 'I'm going to run the company myself. I'm going to take control of all of my own technology, use it only for benefits. I'm going to introduce this giant new Stark Expo to advocate all sorts of new energy sources and introduce all sorts of new technological wonders to the world of tomorrow.' But, he's a Marvel superhero, so it takes about six months for everything to go to hell once he's done that."

More from the set of Iron Man 2 to come as we near its May 7, 2010 release!

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Posted by: Szero21 on July 29, 2009 at 00:24:12

I cant wait for this movie...its goin to be so great

Posted by: Batchat on July 29, 2009 at 00:36:28

I can tell this movie is going to be very well written like the last one. That's the kind of treatment a Marvel film deserves. For me, the only descent Marvel films to date have been Ironman and X2...that's it. If you say Spiderman 2 I'll stab you in the jaw!

Posted by: pearl jam fan on July 29, 2009 at 00:39:49

very nice.. I love the detailed explanation of what was seen. I seriously cannot wait for this movie... SHH!, you are positively one of the best sites around. Keep up the GREAT work and I'll be checking in a couple few times a day to see what you got. Take care all... Oh yeah.. Make Mine Marvel! 'nuff said

Posted by: IronPool on July 29, 2009 at 00:40:25

spiderman 2

Posted by: RICK JAMES ***** on July 29, 2009 at 00:44:12

Cool cant wait

Posted by: matt p on July 29, 2009 at 00:50:54

sounds so freaking awesome!

Posted by: joe on July 29, 2009 at 00:58:42

Well I still have my jaw and I will have it after I say and type SPIDER-MAN 2. Great to hear alot more on Iron-Man 2.

Posted by: california on July 29, 2009 at 01:01:30

This movie is going to be GREAT!!!!

Posted by: a goat eating cabbage is odd on July 29, 2009 at 01:01:31

Batchat is pretty accurate, granted I would also include the first X-men since it was the first Marvel movie to come out and it was a pretty big deal, and overal a pretty good movie.

Posted by: DannyRand on July 29, 2009 at 01:35:14

I would go a step further and say Incredible Hulk was well written too, particularly if you watch the deleted scenes (there are a LOT of them, about 50 minutes worth).

You do have to take deleted scenes into account sometimes, because they were part of the original script right, so its not bad writing, its bad editing that ****ed it up.
But that didn't happen with Incredible Hulk, which was unreal.

Seriously though, I LOVE the themes and ideas in this. Learning about Howard Stark, Energy Crisis (possibly reason for Stark's health issues that have been scene in some pics) StarkCon- I mean Expo. I love it. So interesting. I also love how they aren't afraid to mess with characters to come up with an original take.

Posted by: Blade on July 29, 2009 at 01:42:21

came out before the first X-Men movie and was also better in terms of action and story.

Posted by: just cus on July 29, 2009 at 02:21:34

^^i was just about say that about blade

Posted by: Stan on July 29, 2009 at 02:22:26

ooo exciting, i don't want too much info i don't want to taint my expectations.

Posted by: Dartfin on July 29, 2009 at 03:37:35

First, neither Blade nor X-Men nor Spider-Man were Marvel films. Blade was New Line, X-Men was Fox and Spider-Man is Sony. IronMan is the first Marvel produced film. Followed by Incredible Hulk, and now Ironman 2. Marvel is doing all it's own movies from here out. Though Spidey is remaining with Sony and X-Men...well there's speculation that Fox may lose the property despite making bucketloads of money. But thats only rumor, nothing concrete so I wouldn't quote that or even really listen to it.

Posted by: X-K!D on July 29, 2009 at 03:38:37

I really hope The Hulk gets a cameo in IM2 since there has been no word on wether or not The Incredible Hulk will get a sequel out any time soon.

Posted by: Zumwalt on July 29, 2009 at 03:55:43

Hey Batchat, bring it *****. Spiderman 1 and 2 are classics.

Posted by: Sure thing on July 29, 2009 at 04:02:21

Well one would expect SOME mention of the Hulk in IM2 based on the teaser at the end of Incredible Hulk. Even if the studios are putting the nix on that series for a while (or forever), you'd think that with this whole unified universe thing they're going for, they wouldn't just completely ignore something they already set up.

Posted by: Sure thing on July 29, 2009 at 04:02:57

Also, Spider-Man 2 is the best comic movie of all time. :D

Posted by: Moorish on July 29, 2009 at 05:15:42

Hey Batchat - SPIDER-MAN 2 WAS AWESOME!!!

Posted by: Spider-Man on July 29, 2009 at 06:22:38

I know where the Mach 2 is...;)

Posted by: Scott on July 29, 2009 at 06:33:54

Is RDJ looking at the trainset from superman returns in that photo?

Posted by: Jay on July 29, 2009 at 07:50:03

Dartfin you're just splitting hairs now. I think he means films based on Marvel properties not Marvel produced ones.

Posted by: daniel clavette on July 29, 2009 at 08:01:57

That is truly amazing and i can,t wait to see the ironman 2 in theather in 2010.

Posted by: Tony on July 29, 2009 at 08:42:13

Too cool. I rememebr when Project PEGASUS started appearing in some Marvel titles in the 70s. Nice old school refernce to it.

And as someoen who grew up on the 'Demon in the Bottle' storyline i hope we get to see theseeds of it being placed when Tony hit's "rockbottom" in this one and maybe for hte 3rd movie they make it the primary storyline.

Posted by: chris galarza on July 29, 2009 at 08:45:22

This movie looks very promising, i love to see when directors and actors put everything they have to please a fan base in need of the cast and designers to be detailed oriented. I cant wait to see how they will portray iron man in the future or if they will step into the darker realm of iron mans life.

thanks cast and crew !!!!

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