10 Worst Times Famous Comic Book Characters Were Radically Changed For Movies
2. The Mandarin (Iron Man 3)
The way the Mandarin was handled in Iron Man 3 may be the single most divisive aspect of the entire MCU. Some admired the new take on storytelling that this change required and how it subverted expectations. A majority, however, disagreed with how the iconic villain was handled.
When the fearsome conqueror from the comics, armed with magical rings and an unrelenting hatred, was turned into an actor simply playing a role, it did not go over well. Trevor Slattery didn’t resemble the Mandarin in any way and the changes felt offensive to the canon rather than an inspired updates.
What makes this adaptation so frustrating is that the Mandarin that was presented in the first half of the film worked so well. He may have been somewhat different from the comics, a more modern terrorist than ancient warlord, but the character stills captured his essence and power. So when that was all ripped away, it was hugely frustrating.
Marvel themselves even seem to be aware of how bad these changes were received as the short film All Hail The King strongly implied that the ‘real’ Mandarin was still out there. We'll have to wait and see if they ever try to get him right again.