MCU: Iron Man's 10 Greatest Moments
9. Congressional Hearing (Iron Man 2)
Iron Man 2 came just before Avengers, when it was clear the MCU was gearing up to be something very different from other franchises before it. As the first sequel, there was an added dose of pressure too, but Robert Downey Jnr proved himself more than able to handle it.
The movie begins with a Congressional hearing and Tony Stark front and centre, including the introduction of the recast Don Cheadle playing James Rhodes. It makes for especially interesting viewing now, as Stark still displays his immaturity, contempt for authority and inability to take things seriously, shedding these traits later became crucial to his character growth post-Battle Of New York.
Back when superhero movies were a little more silly and carefree though, Tony Stark’s natural wit helped him become one of the modern era’s most popular characters, although the later more serious grounding of the man definitely helped his legacy in the long run.
There’s also a nice bookend of the film with the Senator questioning him being made to pin a medal on him at the end - a moment which only gets better when Captain America: The Winter Soldier reveals the same Senator is actually a HYDRA agent.