Prior to the theatrical release of Iron Man 3, it was evident from the film's plot that Tony Stark would encounter many challenges throughout the movie. The tone in the trailers of the film suggested that Stark would be dealing with issues that affected him personally. While he had his share of particular problems in the previous Iron Man films, Stark was affected in a different manner in Iron Man 3 because he helped save the world from a tremendous threat in The Avengers. In The Avengers, Stark makes a heroic effort in saving the world from a missile and nearly getting caught inside a wormhole while placing the nuclear weapon inside of it so that it detonates and destroys the Chitauri. The aftermath of the battle sets up the premise of why Stark is struggling in Iron Man 3. Here are 5 reasons Tony Stark is more human than superhero in Iron Man 3.
5. His Panic Attacks
Tony Stark is one of the last people expected to display issues with stress. In the previous Iron Man films, Stark chooses to turn the attention away from himself in moments that expose what can be perceived as weakness. Only the audience and the people he has a close bond with, his girlfriend Pepper Potts and best friend Col. James Rhodes, witness Stark in times of difficulty. If he can, he prefers to keep Pepper and Rhodes from seeing him troubled. However, in Iron Man 3, Stark is clearly using his work as a distraction more than usual and is showing signs of being even more of a workaholic than what the audience is accustomed to seeing. It is mentioned early in the film that Stark has had difficulty sleeping which will eventually affect anyone no matter if the person is a superhero. Viewers witness Stark crack on multiple occasions during the film such as when he has a discussion with Pepper about how his life has changed since the events of what occurred in The Avengers and that he feels he can't protect her from danger. Due to the traumatic effects of the climatic battle in The Avengers, Stark begins to show symptoms of having a panic attack when there is any mention of what transpired or he has a dream of what occurred. Stark's struggles with anxiety, while perplexing to see, is a part that makes his character arc the strongest of any of the films he has been in.