12. Nonlinear Origin Stories
In
Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne is shown as an adult experiencing a nightmare from his childhood. He awakes inside a prison, meets Ducard, and makes his way to the League of Shadows' mountain hideout. All of this happens before the audience learns how he got there in the first place. In
Iron Man, Tony Stark is enjoying a fun conversation during a car ride with soldiers in the Middle East when his convoy is attacked. In the process, the audience sees Tony suffering what looks to be a mortal injury. The story then jumps back to show how Tony got there. Director Jon Favreau was never shy about his fondness of
Batman Begins and was likely influenced by it when deciding on the pacing for
Iron Man. The nonlinear structure allows watchers of both films to get sucked right into the action and feel immediately engaged. This makes the backstory portion of each picture much more palatable.