Iron Man 2 is just breaking into the North American market this week and already director Jon Favreau is all up and talking about Iron Man 3.
Specifically he says Iron Man 3 will “have to” feature the Mandarin as the villain.
If Favreau has his way, Tony Stark will be taking on The Mandarin in the next installment of the popular franchise.
“You’ve got to do The Mandarin”, says the director, who has been teasing this in the films already with tiny references to the Ten Ring organization, “but the problem is, the way he’s depicted in the comic books… you don’t want to see that.”
I really think an adaptation of the Mandarin won’t have him dancing about in silk pajamas. They will adapt him to be a more film friendly image. It also presents a villain that isnt using Tony’s technology against him. We have seen two variations on that theme in two films. If they did it again, it might grow tiresome. Mandarin has his own tech.
Mandarin is often depicted as supernatural, but in reality he is a master of science reverse engineering of found Makluuan Alien technology which is found in his Ten Rings of Power. Each ring grants him different abilities, combined with his martial arts mastery of focusing Chi to be able to punch through metals make him a formidable opponent for Iron Man.
But more interesting will be how he will be presented as a rival for Stark as well as Iron Man.
