10 Utterly Bad-Ass Movie Characters Who Ruled 2013

2. Tony Stark €“ Iron Man 3

With The Avengers movie long-since released, and concerns among some fans relating to how the group could convincingly become individuals again (especially when confronted with a threat, and knowing the Hulk is on speed dial,) Shane Black reinvented Tony Stark with a decidedly nostalgic feel. Channeling the same spirit that made Last Action Hero an under-cherished gem, and which defined a very specific period of the action movie genre in genral, Black brought a hugely successful relevance to the character in the wake of the always looming shadow of the New York events. Stark was broken at the outset of the film, suffering from his own form of PTSD, while also retaining the irresistible snark factor that made Robert Downey Junior the only choice for the casting, but by the end, he was reaffirming his status as Iron Man to the suppressed whoops of fans the world over. What was key about Iron Man 3 was that it added new elements €“ and while the whole Mandarin affair was distasteful (if not exactly unexpected, given the accusations of racism the character has always attracted), there were moments, like the final battle, and seeing things like the Hulk Buster armour that made it an exhilarating experience. And which crucially underlined exactly why Iron Man was the key to making Marvel's Phase One ever work in the first place.