Justin Theroux talks Iron Man 2, didn’t think The Avengers would work

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Back before Justin Theroux was leading one of my favourite television shows of the past decade (The Leftovers), he was penning the script for IRON MAN 2. Unfortunately, Marvel's first sequel wasn't received nearly as well as they had hoped, with many critics focusing on the jumbled story-lines and countless elements which were only there to set up THE AVENGERS. Justin Theroux told Bad Taste (via Comic Book) that thanks to the enormous success of the first film, expectations were maybe a little too high for IRON MAN 2.

You know, as happens very often, it is not easy to live up to expectations. And after the first ‘Iron Man,’ those for the sequel were extremely high. [You] go to see [the film] with a wealth of expectations…and the film had a release date even before we started working on it so we had to work fast. And I will not complain about anything or anyone, mind you…It was a team effort and I really love people like [Iron Man 2 director] Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. We tried to please the fans and to give shape to something spectacular…But sometimes things end up not going in the right direction, although there are parts of the movie that I’m really proud [of].

Personally, I feel as though IRON MAN 2 gets a bad rap, most of the criticisms fired its way are valid, but there are quite a few great individual scenes and the charisma of Robert Downey Jr. goes a long way in keeping the whole thing from sliding off the rails. Despite that charisma, Justin Theroux wasn't entirely convinced that Marvel's grand plan of gathering up Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and the others for THE AVENGERS was going to work.

What I like about Kevin Feige and Jeremy Latcham and all the guys at the studio, is that they really love these characters, they’re not just trying to throw something out. I remember at that time talking about The Avengers with Kevin. I remember that I told him “I don’t know if this is going to work, having Iron Man and all these characters together” but then he ended up doing something really special. They love these superheroes and they protect them.

I can't say I blame him, THE AVENGERS really had no business being as incredibly entertaining as it was and it's somewhat of a minor miracle that Marvel and Joss Whedon were able to pull the whole thing off. If it hadn't worked, we probably wouldn't be entering the third phase of the most successful franchise of all-time. Justin Theroux's The Leftovers, which has never been a ratings success, will thankfully return for a third and final season on HBO.