Shane Black defends that controversial twist in Iron Man 3

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Judging by the box office totals, pretty much everyone has seen IRON MAN 3 and is aware of the big twist that has divided audiences. I will refrain from naming it here in the event that you are the one person who has not seen the movie yet. This is your last chance to turn around before we begin discussing events from the movie. Last time I will ask. Seriously. Okay, here we go.

As many of you have voiced in talk backs and Movie Fan Central your displeasure at how the Mandarin was portrayed in IRON MAN 3. Some call it a cheap trick to have the character serve as nothing more than a device to further the Extremis plotline while completely diminishing the presence of Iron Man’s biggest comic book foe. But, Shane Black has taken the defensive and explained to Screen Rant why re-imagining the character worked.

“I would say that we struggled to find a way to present a mythic terrorist that had something about him that registered after the movie’s over as having been a unique take, or a clever idea, or a way to say something of use. And what was of use about the Mandarin’s portrayal in this movie, to me, is that it offers up a way that you can sort of show how people are complicit in being frightened. They buy into things in the way that the audience for this movie buys into it. And hopefully, by the end you’re like, ‘Yeah, we were really frightened of the Mandarin, but in the end he really wasn’t that bad after all.’ In fact, the whole thing was just a product of this anonymous, behind-the-scenes guy. I think that’s a message that’s more interesting for the modern world because I think there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes, a lot of fear, that’s generated toward very available and obvious targets, which could perhaps be directed more intelligently at what’s behind them.”

This is going to be a hot button topic this summer and throughout Phase Two. IRON MAN 3 has been critically successful but fans have voiced their frustration at The Mandarin’s misrepresentation in the marketing for the movie. I think it was a major misuse of the character but I understand what Shane Black was going for. Hopefully as time passes many will be able to look past the holes in IRON MAN 3 and appreciate it for all of the good stuff it did have in it.