10 Disappointing Comic Book Movies That Deserve A Second Chance

10. Iron Man 2

While not a bad film per se, Iron Man 2 was certainly seen as a step down from its predecessor. Instead of a captivating origin story for Tony Stark, it felt like a bunch of set up for the rest of the MCU at the expense of the central conflict. Given the benefit of hindsight, however, and Iron Man 2 becomes a lot more favourable for all of those threads it developed.

For instance, the history of SHIELD, while inconsequential in the film itself, becomes much more relevant after the revelations of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Likewise, the inclusion of Black Widow might have felt forced, but it gave The Avengers one less thing to worry about.

In addition, the transitional state of Tony’s personality, though jarring in the film itself, now makes a lot more sense. Civil War and the films preceding it have shown Tony change into a new person, one more concerned with the repercussions of his actions. It’s only in seeing this multi-film growth that we can really appreciate his downfall here.

Context is important and though Iron Man 2 doesn’t resolve many of these issues in the film itself, knowing that other films do makes the open-ended nature of the plot and characters here much more acceptable and enjoyable.