10 Things Everyone Always Gets Wrong About Iron Man

10. Tony Stark Has Always Been Like He Is In The MCU

Iron Man 2 Tony Stark Opening
Marvel Studios

Before 2008, Iron Man was by no means a household name. He wasn't obscure by any means, having been a regular fixture of the Avengers and the star of numerous solo books, but he wasn't a Spider-Man, a Hulk, or even a Captain America. Sure, he starred opposite these figures in the occasional cartoon and comic, but he never possessed the draw of those other figures - at least in other media.

Sure, he had the cracking cartoon series from the nineties, but the fact remains it was only the most ardent of True Believers who were familiar with the character. These adaptations possessed little influence on the character's comic book self, who was frequently arrogant, and struggled with his own demons in a much darker way to the Stark seen elsewhere.

To be clear, Downey Jr. did an excellent job of conveying Tony's ego, his arrogant nature and his combative approach to dialogue, but the actor also implemented some of his own quirks to the role too. His Tony is much more of a joker, and far more aware of the concept of humility than his once comics self ever was. As a result, we've seen Downey exert his own influence on the character in the comics, with the Tony of today sharing far more in common with the actor's performance than what was originally the case in 2008.

And, to be fair, this isn't a bad thing. Downey's Stark has always been gripping, and if the comics can capture the charm he exuded onscreen, that can only be a good thing. Point being, Tony hasn't always been like Downey's portrayal, and it's only recently that has changed.

Advertisement
Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.