FILM · 2010 · USA
Iron Man 2
- Directed by
- Jon Favreau
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Studio
- Marvel Studios, Fairview Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment
184 archived facts 7 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Sep 2026
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark faces pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, with Pepper Potts and James 'Rhodey' Rhodes at his side, must forge new alliances – and confront powerful enemies.
Summary: TMDB
13 Easter Eggs and References in Iron Man 2
- #014
Hammer's factory is actually Elon Musk's SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California. Although the shooting was done at night, the people walking in the background are real employees.
- #039
Tony Stark refers to the briefcase containing the nuclear launch codes that accompanies the US President as "the football," a nod to the briefcase armor.
- #050
(At about 30 minutes in) At the start of the Monaco race scene, Ivan Vanko wears orange overalls labeled "B. Turgenov," a reference to the Crimson Dynamo Boris Turgenov. Boris's armor was designed by Anton Vanko. He was also a partner of Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow.
- #069
(At about 4 minutes) While showing Vanko's collection of covers and articles about Tony Stark, there is an article about Iron Man stabilizing East-West relations with a signature attributed to "Rob Down," a reference to Robert Downey Jr. The text of the article is actually an obituary for Tony's father, Howard Stark.
- #076
The idea of poisoning from the suit is a nod to the Mark XVI in the comics, which Tony had to abandon because it caused him health problems.
- #093
(At about 1 hour 24 minutes) Tony Stark creates a new arc reactor using an object resembling Captain America's shield. That shield was seen resting on a table in Stark's office in Iron Man (2008). It is an Easter egg referencing Captain America, a founding member of the Avengers alongside Iron Man in the films (although Captain America did not appear in the Avengers comics until the third issue, in which he is found frozen). In the film, Nick Fury mentions something called "The Avenger Initiative." Contrary to popular theory, it is not actually Captain America's shield.
- #099
(At about 46 minutes) Pepper Potts's (Gwyneth Paltrow's) line about the collapse of Stark Technology stock, "The fundamentals of our company are strong," is a reference to Senator John McCain's comment after the 2008 stock market crash, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong," which is believed to have contributed to McCain losing the 2008 United States presidential election.
- #101
During Stark's birthday party, partygoers begin throwing items into the air for a drunk Stark (wearing the Iron Man suit) to blast. One of the girls throws a watermelon and Stark remarks, "Oh, you want the Gallagher?" This is a reference to Gallagher, famous for his Sledge-O-Matic comedy routine, in which he splatters the front rows of the audience (usually with juicy items such as watermelons and tomatoes).
- #103
(At about 1 hour 30 minutes) As Justin Hammer introduces each group of Hammer Drones, the anthem of each branch of the military plays in the background: the U.S. Army's "The Army Goes Rolling Along (The Caisson Song)," the U.S. Navy's "Anchors Aweigh," the U.S. Air Force's "The U.S. Air Force (Into the Wild Blue Yonder)," and the U.S. Marine Corps' "Marines' Hymn."
- #115
About 1 hour and 24 minutes in, Tony Stark refers to the government that wants his suit technology as the "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers." This is a reference to "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers," a 1970s underground comic about drug culture featuring three brothers named Phineas, Franklin and Fat Freddy.
- #144
When Justin Hammer first meets Ivan, he tells him: "Anything you want here, we got it." This is a reference to Sam Rockwell's very early role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), in which he introduces the character Danny to the Foot Clan's hideout and says almost exactly the same thing.
- #146
Justin Hammer's sneaky remark about Canada and his leaving his front door open refer to the habit many Canadians have of leaving their front doors unlocked. The concept was examined by Michael Moore in his documentary Bowling for Columbine (2002).
- #150
Tony Stark stepping out of the Iron Man suit in a tuxedo is a nod to Goldfinger, in which James Bond takes off his diving suit and puts on a tuxedo.
Sources & editorial notes
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