MCU: 10 Fascinating Facts Behind Iron Man 2 (2010)
Turns out Whiplash was a major Loki fanboy...
It might be considered one of the two worst movies in the MCU, but Iron Man 2 still has its moments. It introduced to the idea of Tony Stark as a vulnerable figure coping with some serious psychological trauma (or not coping with it, more appropriately).
It also gave us one of the best low-key villains in the MCU in Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer and some great set-pieces. Unfortunately it was also enough of a mess to turn Jon Favreau off directing Marvel movies - amidst rumours of studio interference - and people mostly talk about its production issues over its merits as a film.
As we continue to head towards Endgame, we're looking back to the film that almost completely overshadowed its main villain with a parrot...
10. Mickey Rourke Fell In Love With A Bird
Mickey Rourke has always been an interesting figure and his time on Iron Man 2 was inevitably controversial. Since the film's release, he's been particularly vocal on how the studio messed him about and undermined his performance in the edit.
He says they removed all nuance and depth and made him a one-dimensional bad guy, which is the opposite of what he was trying to do. His agenda was to make Ivan Vanko interesting, which is why he suggested he'd have a pet parrot to humanize him.
He found himself a white cockatoo named Elvis to fill the gap and promptly fell in love with it. He was so taken by it he bought himself an identical bird called Sonny and when Rourke returned for reshoots, Sonny was flown in to take the place of Elvis. Tragically, he was taken ill before the premiere and Rourke openly mourned him being trapped in hospital after he fainted.
The bird made a big impression on Robert DowneyJr too who said: “I don’t know why the parrot is not on the movie poster.”