10 Mind-Blowing Iron Man Facts
6. The Mandarin Was Almost The Original Iron Man's Villain
One of the most controversial things about the Iron Man movies was their depiction of his arch-nemesis, the Mandarin, who appeared in the third film. Director Shane Black turned him into a ruse wrapped in a joke, much to the chagrin of the Marvel purists.
The real Mandarin, however, was almost the villain in the original Iron Man. One of the earliest screenplay drafts Jon Favreau was working with featured the Ten Rings leader as its big bad, and this certainly wouldn't have been the Ben Kingsley incarnation.
This Mandarin was depicted as an Indonesian terrorist who hides in plain sight by masquerading as a billionaire playboy that Tony Stark knows well. Favreau was concerned that a mystical villain would clash with the movie's grounded tone, but plans to include the Mandarin remained on the roadmap.
By this point, he was to be included as a shadowy presence akin to the Emperor in Star Wars, pulling strings behind the scenes before emerging in a future sequel.
The Mandarin was only ushered out entirely when Jeff Bridges joined the project, and the role of the villainous Obadiah Stane was moulded around him.