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
134 Interesting Facts About Iron Man 2
- #001
Contains a major spoiler — show
At around the 47th minute, the photo of Ivan being arrested that Tony Stark sees in his research is a real media photograph of Mickey Rourke being arrested on drug charges when he was younger.
- #002
Scarlett Johansson dyed her hair red before she had even landed the role of Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, because she wanted the part so badly.
- #003
According to director Jon Favreau, the technology in this film was portrayed as more futuristic: "After the first film, a number of technology companies told us how uncanny a lot of our technology depictions had become and how many different films and video games had drawn inspiration from the imagery we used. That pushed us to go a bit further into the future and change the nature of this technology. If we had copied what was in the first one, we would be behind where things are now. So now we're dealing with holograms, the interface inside the suit, and upgrading the suit as well."
- #004
Many of Whiplash's defining traits were suggested by Mickey Rourke. He wanted to play half of his role in Russian, and he advised on the character's tattoos, gold teeth and having a pet cockatoo. In fact, Rourke paid for the bird and the gold teeth out of his own pocket.
- #007
Although Mickey Rourke spent several months on the treadmill and weight training, during the Whiplash costume test he was initially still unable to move because of its weight and could not use the whip support. To overcome this problem, Rourke wore heavy vests in later physical training sessions to get used to moving while wearing heavy armor.
- #008
The many news clippings shown in the film depict Tony Stark and Ivan Vanko in their youth. Most of them are real photographs of Robert Downey Jr. and Mickey Rourke, both of whom rose to fame in the 1980s.
- #009
Robert Downey Jr. gained twenty kilos of muscle to reprise the role of Tony Stark.
- #010
Mickey Rourke, who is not tech-savvy, found that the most challenging part of playing Whiplash was pretending to know his way around a computer.
- #011
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) asks Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) whether she really speaks Latin, she answers with a line from Lucius Annaeus Seneca, "Fallaces sunt rerum species," which means "The appearances of things are deceptive."
- #013
Contains a major spoiler — show
At around the 14th minute, when he first speaks with Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), Tony Stark says he would gladly accept the position of Secretary of Defense. In the comics, Tony Stark was in fact appointed Secretary of Defense.
- #015
Scarlett Johansson trained for six weeks before the film's principal photography began and for six months throughout the shoot to prepare for her role.
- #016
Contains a major spoiler — show
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Garry Shandling reprised the role of Senator Stern. In Winter Soldier, Stern is revealed to be a sleeper Hydra agent, which explains why the character strove so hard in this film to obtain Tony Stark's Iron Man suits and technology, though it is unknown whether Marvel planned the Hydra twist that far in advance. It may simply be a coincidence.
- #017
When Marvel first hired Samuel L. Jackson to play Nick Fury in the first two Iron Man films, they wanted to keep it highly secret. In fact, they drove his car into the middle of the set and surrounded it with wardrobe trailers so that no one could see him get out of the car and into character until Iron Man (2008) was released in theaters.
- #020
In the comics, Tony Stark has a briefcase that contains a portable suit of armor. This famous "suitcase armor" was revised for the film: the briefcase transforms into a series of plates that slide along a wire frame.
- #021
At roughly the 53rd minute, DJ-AM appears at Tony's birthday party; he died after principal photography was completed, and this was his final film project. The film is dedicated to him in the end credits.
- #022
When Scarlett Johansson first saw her character's catsuit, she was initially overwhelmed and wondered how she would be able to move in such a tight costume.
- #023
Although Black Widow is Russian, the character was given an American accent in the films because she is a flawless polyglot.
- #024
Contains a major spoiler — show
At roughly the 22nd minute, according to Jon Favreau, the Asian man who gives Vanko false documents to reach Monaco is a member of the Ten Rings, the terrorist organization Stark encountered in the first film. This organization is reported to be led by Mandarin, Iron Man's archenemy.
- #025
Contains a major spoiler — show
Several scenes in the film clearly foreshadow The Avengers (2012): while Tony examines his father's case, an old Captain America comic book can be seen inside, and he later uses Captain America's shield (a prototype) to build a reactor. While Tony watches his father's old reels and leafs through his notebooks, one of the sketches is a Tesseract drawn as a "Schlegel diagram"; the Tesseract is a very important element in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Avengers (2012). News footage of the campus battle from The Incredible Hulk (2008) is seen near the end of the film. Stark and Fury discuss Stark's membership throughout the film. In the post-credits scene, Agent Coulson finds Thor's hammer in a crater.
- #026
Contains a major spoiler — show
At roughly 1 hour 29 minutes, when Hammer begins scolding Ivan for failing to complete the drones, Vanko responds to Hammer's frustration in Russian. Vanko's remark roughly means "you talk too much."
- #028
Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard as Rhodey because of a dispute between Howard and Marvel Studios. The two actors had worked together on Crash (2004).
- #029
Mickey Rourke complained that many of his scenes were cut, particularly the scenes that gave Ivan Vanko more character development.
- #030
1963, the year Anton Vanko is said to have defected to the United States, is in fact the year Vanko (as the Crimson Dynamo) first appeared in the comics and defected.
- #031
Contains a major spoiler — show
The part of the film in which Tony Stark gets drunk at his birthday party is a tribute to the comics, where Stark struggles with ongoing alcoholism.
- #032
While filming the fight scene in Monaco, Mickey Rourke could not get used to the whips, so they played Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" loudly so he could find the rhythm.
- #033
Contains a major spoiler — show
At roughly the 3rd minute, it is one of the few Marvel Cinematic Universe films with a full opening title sequence, playing over footage of Ivan Vanko building an arc reactor.
- #034
In the comics, Justin Hammer was a cunning but elderly businessman. In the film he was reworked as a younger character and became Tony Stark's contemporary rival. The original purpose of the comics character was to explain why the various enemies Iron Man fought somehow acquired unique and highly advanced weapons, yet generally kept them for violent crimes rather than marketing them for profit. Iron Man eventually discovers this was because Hammer gave the weapons to various criminals as part of mercenary contracts, with an agreement that they hand over a percentage of the spoils from their crimes.
- #035
Mickey Rourke nearly walked away from the film when Marvel's initial offer to him was only $250,000.
- #036
Sam Rockwell accepted the role of Hammer without even reading the script because he had enjoyed making Made (2001) with Jon Favreau; screenwriter Justin Theroux was also a longtime friend of Rockwell's.
- #037
Director Jon Favreau considered shooting some scenes with IMAX cameras, inspired by their use in The Dark Knight (2008), but ultimately decided against it because he thought the film's visual effects would not look convincing at such a high resolution.
- #040
Tony Stark's race car in Monaco was supposed to be Iron Man red, but Robert Downey Jr. insisted on using the blue and white car.
- #041
At around 1 hour 12 minutes, Hammer says, "If it were any smarter, it'd write a book, a book that would make 'Ulysses' look like it was written in crayon." He notes that the author of 'Ulysses', James Joyce, had his eyesight deteriorate so badly while writing it that he had to write in large letters with a crayon on large sheets of paper in order to see what he was writing.
- #042
At around 1 hour 29 minutes, Hammer yells at Vanko, "I don't speak RUSSIAN!" The Russian phrase Vanko had just said (after Hammer's long speech) was "Slishkom mnogo govorish." This translates as "You talk too much." Vanko uses the familiar "you" form of the verb, showing that he does not respect Hammer or regard him as an equal.
- #044
Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is a combination of Iron Man's enemy the Crimson Dynamo (Dr. Vanko, who wears weapons and armor capable of controlling electricity) and the supervillain Whiplash (who wields a specially designed razor and acid whip). The character is also portrayed as the son of Anton Vanko, the original Crimson Dynamo in the comics, and assumes the identity of B. Turgenev (Boris Turgenev, the second Crimson Dynamo in the comics).
- #045
Writer Shane Black suggested that Tony Stark's characterization was inspired by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist who led the team that developed the atomic bomb. After witnessing the destructive potential of his creation, Oppenheimer branded himself "the Destroyer of Worlds" and fell into depression. Black went on to write and direct Iron Man 3 (2013), and Robert Downey Jr. played Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer (2023).
- #046
A tattoo on Vanko's body depicts a Russian schooner with edges bearing the words "Give me a blonde, a bottle, and a boat, and I'll sail away…" in the Russian alphabet. This tattoo is Mickey Rourke's favorite.
- #047
Contains a major spoiler — show
(At about 1 hour 55 minutes) The medals presented to Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) at the end of the film are real military medals: Rhodes receives the Distinguished Service Medal and Stark receives the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
- #048
Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer) and Leslie Bibb (Christine Everhart) have been in a relationship since around 2008. In this film they play against their real-life romance, as journalist Everhart is notably unimpressed by Hammer, seeing him both as a potential romantic partner and as a story for her magazine.
- #049
Emily Blunt was set to play Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, but had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts with Gulliver's Travels (2010).
- #051
According to Don Cheadle, he tried to make the role of Rhodes, Stark's right-hand man, his own, but in the end he stole as much as possible from Terrence Howard's performance in the first film in order to bring the character to life.
- #052
Vanko says that Hammer's armors could "make salute." In Russian, the word "salut" (pronounced "salyut") means "fireworks."
- #053
At the climax of the Stark Expo, Tony saves a young boy wearing an Iron Man helmet from one of the robotic drones. Many fans suggested the boy could be young Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man. Since Sony Pictures owned the Spider-Man franchise, the character could not be used explicitly in any Marvel film at that time. A later deal between Marvel and Sony, however, allowed Spider-Man to appear in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). The theory gained further strength given that the Stark Expo is held in Queens (where Parker comes from) and that the boy would be the right age to be young when Captain America: Civil War (2016) takes place. Spider-Man actor Tom Holland confirmed the theory shortly before the premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).
- #054
Black Widow's alias "Natalie Rushman" was inspired by "Nancy Rushman," a S.H.I.E.L.D. cover identity she used in the comics.
- #055
The layout and many of the buildings of "Stark Expo 1974" were based on the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. In the Expo promotional film shown in the movie, young Tony Stark is holding the Bell System Pavilion.
- #056
(At about the 58th minute) Toward the end of Tony Stark's fight with Rhodes, he says, "You wanna be the War Machine? Then take your shot!" This is a nod to War Machine, Rhodes's superhero alias in the comics.
- #057
Contains a major spoiler — show
Tony making Pepper the CEO of Stark Industries was taken from The Invincible Iron Man comic, albeit under different circumstances.
- #059
While setting up the laboratory to create the new element, Tony Stark opens a crate labeled "Project Pegasus," which comes from Captain Marvel.
- #060
Contains a major spoiler — show
The film's core story (Stark must deal with a midlife crisis of depression and alcoholism while the government seizes his armor and his manipulative rival Justin Hammer tries to ruin him) was inspired by the Iron Man comic "Demon in a Bottle."
- #061
Contains a major spoiler — show
The original ending revealed that Whiplash survived the explosion and attacked Tony and Pepper before being killed by Rhodey. In case Marvel wanted to bring Whiplash back for future films, the ending was changed to a more ambiguous situation. As of January 2025, no such plan exists.
- #063
Interestingly, every instance of the word "Russian" was made inaudible in the Chinese version. Although there are many theories in the comments as to why — that China thought audiences would be offended by a Russian villain, that it was trying to show courtesy to long-time allied nations, or that it was instead trying to distance itself from Russia by hiding any mention of it — no explanation was ever given.
- #064
The sequence in which Hammer throws his weapons arsenal to Rhodey is a tribute to the sequence in Taxi Driver (1976) that begins at the 54:50 timestamp, where Travis Bickle meets the gun salesman Easy Andy in a hotel room. Like the salesman in Taxi Driver, Hammer gives brief descriptions of each weapon's capabilities and even later lays them out on a table in the same way.
- #065
Howard Stark's (John Slattery's) presentation about the idea of a futuristic city was heavily influenced by Walt Disney's televised explanation of the new EPCOT Center and its accompanying Florida Project. The city's 3D map closely imitates the EPCOTs, and the posters behind Stark come from the World's Fairs, over which Disney — as Stark may also have been — had great influence. In addition, one of the very few real-life 1964 World's Fair buildings featured at the Stark Expo is a replica of the General Electric pavilion, where Disney's Carousel of Progress was made famous. Richard M. Sherman contributed to the film with the song "Make Way for Tomorrow Today," which is similar to "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," composed by Richard and his brother Robert B. Sherman for the Carousel of Progress, among many other classic Disney melodies.
- #066
Tony Stark's artificial intelligence "J. A. R. V. I. S." stands for "Just A Rather Very Intelligent System."
- #067
(About 10 minutes in) As Tony leaves the Expo, he meets "Larry King" and Larry Ellison. Seth Green did several Iron Man impressions on Robot Chicken (2005) (including "Little Iron Man"). Green made another Marvel Cinematic Universe cameo as the voice of Howard the Duck in the post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
- #070
(About 10 minutes in) The CEO of Oracle Corporation (a billionaire playboy often compared to Tony Stark) is briefly seen at the Stark Expo. As Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) escorts Tony out of the Stark Expo, he says, "This is Larry." Stark responds, "Hey, the Oracle of Oracle." Oracle's branding appears prominently at many points in the film, including an exciting showdown in a fictional "Oracle Biodome."
- #071
(About 10 minutes in) The man in garters whom Stark identifies as Larry King.
- #072
35mm prints were sent to US theaters under the code name "Glow." Three separate boxes were sent. Box number three held the first and eighth reels and was locked. The combination to the lock was not sent until a few hours before one of the midnight premieres.
- #073
Robert Downey Jr. recommended that Justin Theroux, with whom he had worked on Tropic Thunder (2008), write the screenplay.
- #075
(At about 1 hour 11 minutes) When Hammer presents his weapons arsenal to Rhodey, the Minigun evokes "Puff the Magic Dragon." Beyond the film and song references, during the Vietnam War the Douglas AC-47 "Spooky" attack aircraft was armed with similar Miniguns and was nicknamed "Puff the Magic Dragon."
- #078
Jon Favreau stated that the role of Senator Stern is a nod to Howard Stern and that Garry Shandling, a big fan of Stern, was included in the cast.
- #079
Famous animator Genndy Tartakovsky was hired to storyboard the film's action scenes.
- #080
This is Scarlett Johansson's third foray into comic book films. Her previous comic book films were Ghost World (2001) and The Spirit (2008), in which her character worked for the Octopus (played by Samuel L. Jackson). In this film, Johansson again works alongside Jackson (as Nick Fury). Johansson had previously stated that she was interested in playing the Marvel supervillain Moonstone.
- #081
Composer John Debney recorded the score in just four days.
- #082
Contains a major spoiler — show
The rooftop where Tony and Pepper finally kiss is in an apartment building overlooking Flushing Meadows, where Jon Favreau lived as a child.
- #083
The new element Stark creates comes from the Zeeman effect (magnetic fields) and the Stark effect (static electric fields).
- #084
The vintage cars seen in Stark's private collection were a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia that once belonged to Rita Hayworth (a gift from Prince Aly Khan); a 1949 Mercury "lead sled" customized by Sam Barris (George Barris's brother), provided by the Petersen Automotive Museum; and a 1932 Ford flathead Roadster that belonged to director Jon Favreau.
- #085
Robert Downey Jr. burst out laughing when he tried to say the line "Goldstein, give me a phat beat to beat my buddy's ass to" completely straight. Downey found the line so funny that he kept laughing every time he said it. It fit the scene so well that Favreau decided to keep it in.
- #086
(At about 1 hour 13 minutes) The names seen on the plans for the arc reactor that Tony takes from his father's box are crew members connected to the Iron Man films: William J. Law III, Sharon Davis and Walt Hadfield. All of them worked in the art or construction departments.
- #087
Justin Hammer's weapons appear as items stolen or bought by villains in both the Marvel Netflix show Daredevil (2015) and Luke Cage (2016).
- #088
It was Jon Favreau's first sequel as director and actor.
- #089
A total of eleven different visual effects companies worked on the film.
- #091
Five original vintage Formula 1 race cars were used in the Monaco race, among them a 1976 Lotus type 77 owned by collector Chris Locke. In the starting grid of the drivers shown on television, one driver is named Locke and another is named Chapman, a tribute to Lotus founder and F1 team manager until his death in 1982, Colin Chapman.
- #092
This is the only film in which Tony Stark is referred to by his legal name, "Anthony Stark." Justin Hammer addresses Tony Stark as "Anthony Stark" twice in the film.
- #094
Contains a major spoiler — show
Hammer's Ex-Wife missile is ineffective against Vanko's new armor. This is played as a joke; however, the missiles that destroy the shelters need to be fired at long range, whereas Rhodes used it incorrectly (on a nearby target).
- #095
(At about the 27th minute) When Tony Stark meets Elon Musk, he expresses his admiration for Musk's "fantastic" Merlin engines, the propulsion engines SpaceX uses in its Falcon series rockets. Musk said he was thinking about the "electric jet" concept, which he began revisiting between late 2015 and early 2016.
- #096
This is the last Iron Man film distributed by Paramount Pictures as part of the multi-film deal between Marvel Studios and Paramount. The Walt Disney Company bought Marvel in 2009 for 4 billion dollars and then bought the distribution rights to Marvel Studios' future releases The Avengers (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013) from Paramount the following year for 115 million dollars; the Paramount logo remained at the start of those films. In July 2013, Disney then bought all distribution rights to Iron Man (2008), this sequel, Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Thor (2011) from Paramount for an undisclosed sum, the final step in Disney's ownership of Marvel.
- #097
Contains a major spoiler — show
The post-credits scene shows Mjolnir, a hammer, in open terrain in New Mexico. It introduces Thor (2011), the next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- #098
The action scene of the historic Monaco Grand Prix had to be shot in the parking lot of Downey Studios in California because (now former) F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone (who had initially given permission) withdrew permission to film on the Grand Prix track. When the permission was withdrawn, a Rolls-Royce Phantom was sent to the spot on the track where the driving scene was shot.
- #100
In a June 2021 interview with Collider about the then-upcoming Black Widow (2021), Scarlett Johansson discussed how her character had evolved since first appearing in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers (2012). She said, "You look back at Iron Man 2 and while it was really fun and had a lot of great moments in it, the character is so sexualized, you know? Really talked about like she's a piece of something, like a possession or a thing or whatever, like a piece of ass, really. And Tony even refers to her as something like that at one point. Now people, young girls, are getting much more positive messages, but to be part of that change and to be part of that change is incredible. Be on the other side and be part of that old story, but also move forward, evolve, I think that's pretty cool."
- #102
This is Scarlett Johansson's first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow.
- #107
(At about 14 minutes) Tony is surprised to see Rhodey (Don Cheadle) at the Senate hearing. Rhodey tells Tony, "Look, it's me. I'm here. Deal with it. Let's move on." This can be read not only as Rhodey speaking to Tony but also as Cheadle subconsciously speaking to the audience and addressing the uproar over Rhodes being recast between Iron Man (2008) and this film.
- #108
In the comics, Tony Stark suffered a car crash while driving a race car and "Happy" Hogan saved him. This event is repeated in this film; the small change was that Whiplash's attack caused the crash, and Hogan saved Stark by bringing him the suitcase armor.
- #109
At about 10 minutes in, as Tony leaves the Expo, he signs an autograph for a small boy wearing an Iron Man mask. This is the same boy he saves near the end of the film.
- #110
About 10 minutes in, Kate Mara plays the U.S. Marshal who serves Tony with a court order. Tony asks the Marshal where she is from, and she answers "Bedford," which is where Mara herself is from.
- #111
Six Formula 1 cars were provided by the Historic Grand Prix Association.
- #114
Justin Hammer's company logo resembles the exterior of Thor's homeworld, specifically the Great Hall. This, along with the company name, may foreshadow Thor's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- #116
When Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer meet for the first time in the airport hangar and sit down at the table, if you look at Justin Hammer's palms, they appear blotchy and darker compared to the wrinkles on his hands and around his fingertips, suggesting he likely has a sloppy spray tan meant to show his vanity and incompetence.
- #117
During the scene in which Pepper yells at Tony while he and Rhodey break the ceiling in their fight at the party, pay close attention to Natalie. As Pepper steps back in fear, Natalie instinctively drops into a crouched fighting stance because she is secretly Natasha Romanov/Black Widow.
- #118
Edward Norton was said to be reprising his role as Bruce Banner from The Incredible Hulk (2008) in a cameo in this film as a precursor to The Avengers (2012).
- #120
The film's plot resembles the story from the comic "Armor Wars II," published in 1990. In the comic, a man named Kearson DeWitt accuses Tony Stark of stealing his father's designs and infects Tony with a techno-organic virus using technology given to him by Desmond and Phoebe Marrs, the owners of Marrs Corporation, eventually fighting Stark in a large suit of armor. James Rhodes also helps Stark in the final battle. In the film, Ivan Vanko replaces DeWitt and Justin Hammer replaces the Marrs siblings. The comic story also used the remotely controlled empty armored suits seen in Iron Man 3 (2013).
- #121
The Navy Hammer drones are marked "VX-23." VX-23 is a U.S. Navy aircraft test squadron based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River that conducts research, testing and evaluation of fixed-wing tactical aircraft and UAVs.
- #122
Tony builds a particle accelerator in his basement to create the element his father discovered, which will power his suit and cure his palladium poisoning. Although the accelerator appears to be missing key parts, experts say this is not far-fetched at all. The beam Tony directs with a wrench would also not travel in only one direction. And elements are generally not stable enough to be found in more than a few billionths of a second. Not only that, but in this scenario Tony would also expose himself to very high, very dangerous levels of radiation.
- #124
John Slattery appears for the first time as Tony's father, Howard Stark. In reality, Slattery is only 2 years and 8 months older than Robert Downey Jr.
- #125
The Mandarin was considered as this film's villain but was later deemed too over the top. He would appear in Iron Man 3 (2013).
- #126
All the Formula 1 cars featured in the Monaco Grand Prix were created on a computer.
- #127
At roughly 1 hour 24 minutes, while Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) is building the particle accelerator, Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) takes out a circular metal object bearing a partial star and colored red, white and blue like Captain America's shield.
- #128
According to the January 2012 issue of Air & Space Magazine, the character of Tony Stark was also inspired by South African-born Elon Musk (co-founder of SpaceX and PayPal). Along with the Battlestar Galactica (2004) Cylon, a completed Iron Man statue "stands guard" at SpaceX as part of the company's identity.
- #129
Principal photography took place over seventy-one days.
- #130
The large photograph in Tony Stark's office is by the German photographer Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, dated 1997 and titled Tonnay, France 1997, Esser River.
- #131
It was the seventh highest-grossing film of 2010.
- #132
At roughly 27 minutes in, Musk is introduced to Stark at the restaurant in Monaco.
- #133
This entered active production while "Iron Man" was still in theaters.
- #134
When Justin Hammer finishes his dance on the podium, he shouts: "That's what I'm talking about!" In Galaxy Quest (1999), Sam Rockwell uses the same line twice while introducing the Protector crew.
- #135
Contains a major spoiler — show
The film takes place 13 years after Captain Marvel (2019).
- #136
Shane Black served as a consultant on the screenplay. He would later write and direct Iron Man 3 (2013).
- #138
Stark's Grand Prix racer was partly based on the 1978 Walter Wolf Formula 1 car. Of the nineteen models produced, two were running models powered by a 350-cubic-inch Chevrolet V-8 engine with 320 base horsepower.
- #139
The song playing while Justin Hammer dances on stage at the Stark Expo is Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces" (1974).
- #141
The big fight in Monaco is expected to take place between turns 12 ("Tabac") and 13 ("Louis Chiron") of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit.
- #142
To keep various aspects of the production secret, Marvel Studios' official fake working title was "Rasputin." Two more fake titles were used during additional photography: "Murphy's Law" (named after Susan Murphy's recently deceased father, John Francis Murphy) and "The Adventures of Angus McDonald" (named after Scott Trimble's great-great-great-grandfather, William Angus McDonald).
- #143
It is the only solo Iron Man film (as opposed to superhero team films) in which Tony Stark says "I am Iron Man." before the end credits (excluding post-credits scenes).
- #145
At the start of the Grand Prix, a sign reading "Maximilian FAVREAU" hangs above the crowd. Maximilian is the name of director/executive producer/actor Jon Favreau.
- #148
Black Widow's fake identity is Natalie Rushman, which shares the same initials as her real name, Natasha Romanov.
- #149
Contains a major spoiler — show
Samuel L. Jackson's S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to use Tony Stark only in a consulting capacity, and Stark's reply is "You can't afford me." This is the same reply Jackson gives his on-screen son in Shaft (2019).
- #151
Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson reprised their respective roles in the tie-in video game Iron Man 2 (2010).
- #152
Happy (Jon Favreau) gives Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) boxing lessons. Jon played a boxer in Made (2001) and also played a MAN fighter in Friends (1994) in 1997. Favreau also played the title character in the made-for-TV film Rocky Marciano (1999).
- #153
Contains a major spoiler — show
The final action set takes place in Flushing Meadows park in New York; the final action set of Men in Black (1997) also takes place there. In both films, something crashes into the globe of the world's statue.
- #154
Scarlett Johansson was considered to play Sue Storm in Fantastic Four (2005) and Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man 3 (2007), and John Slattery was considered to play J. Jonah Jameson in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) before the character was cut.
- #155
At roughly 1 hour 13 minutes, the Dallas Record newspaper reporting Anton Vanko's defection is dated Wednesday, October 16, 1966.
- #156
Comic book writer Matt Fraction was hired as a consultant after earning acclaim for his work on "The Invincible Iron Man." He also wrote the video game tie-in to Iron Man 2 (2010).
- #157
At roughly 1 hour 24 minutes, when Agent Coulson visits the laboratory with the accelerator under construction, some of the coils sit on a generator marked "Lincoln Electric." Coulson worked with a character in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013) who has electrical powers named "Lincoln," although in reality Lincoln Electric is only a leading manufacturer of welding equipment.
- #158
Don Cheadle appeared alongside Robert Downey Sr. in Boogie Nights (1997).
- #159
After the Senate hearing, when Tony returns to his workshop, a computer monitor briefly shows Stark Industries stock trading at $130.15.
- #161
The bulky three-pronged robots are a tribute to the "Red Dwarf" cutters.
- #163
Like Scarlett in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) (played in the film by Rachel Nichols), Natasha Romanoff has red hair, wears a black suit, is a trained martial artist and works for a government agency.
- #164
Sam Rockwell, who plays Justin Hammer, appeared in the live-action film adaptation of Charlie's Angels (2000), and Justin Theroux, who wrote the screenplay for Iron Man 2, appeared in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003).
- #165
At roughly 1 hour 30 minutes, Sam Rockwell can be seen on stage at the Expo presenting and introducing the drones. He was also seen on stage introducing the N.S.E.A. crew in Galaxy Quest (1999).
- #166
Rhodey's PIN to enter Tony's workshop is 7948.
- #167
IRON MAN 2 was also a novel by Alexander Irvine.
- #168
This was Andrea-Nichole Olivas's debut.
- #169
Ciarán Hinds was a fan favorite for the role of Justin Hammer.
- #170
Coinciding with the film's release, Marvel published its second Iron Man Omnibus in 2010.
- #171
With this film, the Marvel Cinematic Universe surpassed $1 billion in global box office revenue.
- #172
It appears in "The A to Z of Superhero Movies: From Abar to ZsaZsa via the MCU," written by Rob Hill.
- #173
This is the second comic book film for both Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke. Rockwell's first was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), while Rourke's first was Sin City (2005).
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