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During the production ofIron Man 3, the biggest hurdle was the villain. Marvel fans were hoping it would be Mandarin, whom Jon Favreau had mistakenly touted as the villain in the firstIron Manfilm. Before Favreau decided to step down as the director of the franchise, he told the media that he expectedIron Man 3to have Mandarin, who had been the supervillain in theIron Mancomic books.
Favreau suggested that the Mandarin should appear in the films; however, he also admitted that the depiction of the character in the comic books might not be a good choice for the big screen.
Also Read:Jealousy Around Samuel L. Jackson’s All-Time Favorite Film Led Iron Man 3 Director To Retire From Hollywood For Almost a Decade
Mandarin’s Character Was Based on Racist Asian Stereotypes
According to the bookMCU: The Reigns of Marvel Studios,Iron Man 3directorShane Blacksuggested that the character of Mandarin in the film was highly inspired by racist Asian stereotypes. He was slightly based on Fu Manchu, a pulp novel character that was introduced in 1912 and became one of the most notorious villains in those books.
Chris Fenton of DMG Entertainment, who felt the film should be apt for a release in the Chinese market, warned Marvel executive Tim Connors about the character.
Chris Fenton said (via MCU: The Reigns of Marvel Studios):
“The Mandarin scares the shit out of us. The Mandarin looks and acts like the stereotypically derogatory Chinese man. Not only does he have a long spiny beard that he’s constantly straightening with his fingers, he regularly speaks in uber-‘Chinglish,’ constantly saying Chinese-cliché types of proverbs.”
Shane Black and writerDrew Pearcetried to mellow down the character without having to write it out of the film. In one of the early drafts, Iron Man would take on five supervillains, reducing the impact of an individual villain.
Pearce recalled:
“I pitched the twist with Shane to Kevin two days later. Kevin loved it from the beginning and backed it right the way through.”
Eventually, the script was revised, and necessary changes were made to Mandarin’s character. But in the process, the real essence of the character got lost.
Also Read:Marvel Spent $74,800,000 More on Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel Sequel Than Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man 3, But Can It Break the $1 Billion Record Once Again?
Iron Man 3′s Mandarin Was Nothing Like The Comicbooks
The depiction of Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) inIron Man 3had nothing in common with its comic book counterpart beyond his name. The film showcased him as a terrorist of vague ethnicity. Moreover, halfway through the film, Tony Stark finds out that the Mandarin was a paid British actor backed by an evil organization to help cover its dangerous experiments.
Previously, both Black and Pearce wanted a female to play the villain, trying to rope in Jessica Chastain as Maya Hansen. However, the actress declined, and British actress Rebecca Hall landed the role.
Shane Black also said that their plans to have a female villain were derailed after they received a directive stating that this couldn’t be allowed because it was believed that the toy sales wouldn’t be as good if the character was a female.
Also Read:Emilia Clarke Called ‘The Avengers’ “Absolutely Stupid and Silly” Years After Losing a Potential Role in Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man 3
Vishal Kawadkar
Articles Published :975
Vishal Kawadkar is a seasoned writer specializing in writing engaging and informative content on various topics. He is a cinephile with a keen interest in sci-fi and thriller movies and TV shows. With an eye for detail, Vishal likes offering readers a fresh perspective on the latest trends and developments.
