10 Movie Concepts That Shouldn't Have Worked (But Somehow Did)
3. A Film About A C-Grade Superhero (Iron Man)
In 2008, the idea of a successful franchise being built around any superheroes that weren't Batman, Spider-Man or a member of the X-Men seemed unlikely, to say the least.
Fans simply weren't responding to some of the uninspired attempts to bring their heroes to life and Fantastic Four, Daredevil and Hulk all showcased varying forms of a failed approach to the legendary comic book characters, yet all that was about to be turned on its head in an unlikely fashion.
As insane as it sounds now - in 2019 - a decade ago, creating a film about Tony Stark's Iron Man seemed like utter lunacy and early reactions to the concept left fans/critics scratching their heads as to why Marvel were choosing to kick-start their new world with such a C-List hero.
Well, it partly wasn't through choice as Marvel Entertainment didn't own the film rights to the likes of the aforementioned Spidey and Mutants, so they had to try and make lemonade with a billionaire playboy philanthropist.
As you know by now, the risk paid off and Iron Man would become the shining light of the MCU, with Robert Downey Jr's star rising to the point of global treasure.
In putting so much faith in a hero that casual fans had little knowledge of, Marvel opened the door for some of the most obscure heroes in their back catalogue to grace our screens and the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man all eventually found a home in the MCU.