4. Ivan Vanko/Whiplash - Iron Man 2
The hype surrounding Iron Man 2 upon its release in 2010 was very high. Not only had the first Iron Man film come out of nowhere to become one of the biggest and most popular films of 2008, but the concept of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was now not just an idea or a hope known by few, but rather it was a definite plan that was soon becoming a reality, a reality known by everyone and their grandma by 2010. I, unlike most Marvel fans, actually enjoy Iron Man 2; the plot may be a bit messy and unnecessary characters from S.H.E.I.L.D as well as throw away lines may make it feel more like a 2 hour long advertisement for Avengers Assemble, but on the whole I think it is a decent attempt at being the first Marvel film to truly set-up the idea of a shared universe, as well as also trying to be a stand alone film. One of my favourite aspects of Iron Man 2 is definitely Mickey Rourke. With Iron Man 2, both Rourke and RDJ could be seen as the come-back kings, as throughout the 90s for varying reasons, from drug addiction to hating the industry, the careers of these two fine actors had become nothing, even more so for Rourke who had quit the industry altogether and become a boxer. Thankfully the mid-noughties were kind to these actors as they began to find regular work again in better, more noteworthy films, films like Iron Man 2. When it comes to Rourkes character of Ivan Vanko, Rourke definitely steals every scene he is in, which is sadly far too few. His unique yet rather cool black and silver hair, as well as his convincing Russian accent and dead pan delivery, (I want my bird) make Rourkes villain a constant joy to watch. Vanko couldve been by far one of the greatest villains seen in any super-hero film; the character had a deep back story which caused us as the viewers to have a level of sympathy for his wanting revenge on the Stark name, and due to the greatest set piece of the film, the fight at the Monaco race track, he was also presented as an extreme physical threat due to those awesome, albeit impractical, energy whips. However, once again, Vanko is sadly an undeveloped villain, which is a shame, especially as Rourke has spoken out since the film's release, stating that a lot of scenes had been cut from the film which would have given even more depth and layers to the character. This is frustrating as not only is Vankos screen time in this film extremely limited for a main villain, but the little we saw of his actual character was great, and it would have been a joy to have seen it developed further, instead of his character ultimately becoming a villain in a suit of armour fighting Stark in a suit of armour. Sound familiar? Thats because it is the exact same finale from the first Iron Man film.