10 MCU Storylines The Comics Did Better
4. The Extremis Arc In Iron Man 3 Is A Pale Imitation Of The Comics
Iron Man 3 is more so remembered for its (to put it mildly) controversial handling of the Mandarin and the twist surrounding the iconic villain than anything else. This is understandable as the subversion surrounding Iron Man's arch-nemesis did not amount to much as Aldrich Killian lacked the menace to serve as the Mandarin.
The inspiration for much of the film's plot, the Extremis saga, is more beloved than the film and in many ways shaped Tony Stark's initial arc in the MCU. Some of the comic's elements (such as the design for Iron Man's suit) were used in the first Iron Man film, so this entry will focus on the threequel's relation to the storyline.
Much like the movie, the comic book tale explores Tony's mental state, the Extremis virus and its connection to the likes of Maya Hansen and Aldrich Killian. Unlike the film however, Hansen has a significantly larger and antagonistic role in the comics and the nature of the Extremis virus (and its application by Stark) is more complex than its relatively simple cinematic counterpart.