10 Comic Book Movies Hollywood Didn't Have The Balls To Make

Without question, "Demon in a Bottle" is one of the most infamous storylines in the Marvel canon and is often regarded as the most powerful and relevant Iron Man story. Its legacy makes it ripe for cinematic adaptation, but Marvel have never had the guts to incorporate this classic yarn into the MCU.

"Demon in a Bottle" is renowned for the well-needed shot of realism it brought to the comic book genre, pitching Tony Stark against himself in a fevered battle with alcohol addiction. This was pretty ballsy at the time, given that most heroes were facing off against supervillains and a story showing a depressed Tony turning to drink was seen as a revolutionary step.

Though they almost certainly considered utilising this story in the Iron Man movies, Marvel Studios ultimately shied away from the subject of alcoholism because they didn't believe it was right for the intended audiences (i.e. families). Also: it's a Disney film. Whilst it's one thing to have Jack Sparrow out of his face on rum, it's a bit different making the MCU version of Tony Stark into a self-destructive alcoholic.

There's also the fact that this plot point might have hit a little too close to home for lead actor Robert Downey Jr., a recovering alcoholic himself. That said, there's a brief scene in Iron Man 2 where Tony gets drunk at a party and makes trouble, but it's forgotten pretty quickly and his relationship with alcohol is never mentioned again.